Ukraine and Western countries have strongly criticized Russia’s upcoming presidency of the United Nations Security Council in April, calling it “a slap in the face to the international community.” Russia assumes the presidency as part of its monthly rotation between the Security Council’s 15 member states, but its ties with the West are at their lowest point since the Cold War due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, took to Twitter to express his concern and urged current UNSC members to thwart any Russian attempts to abuse its presidency. He called Russia an outlaw on the UNSC and said that its tenure of the body’s rotating presidency was unacceptable.
Despite holding little influence on decisions, Moscow will be in charge of the agenda, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov planning to lead a debate on the Middle East on April 25. This move has raised concerns, with the US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, expressing doubts about Russia’s behavior during the presidency.
“We also expect that they will also seek opportunities to advance their disinformation campaign against Ukraine, the United States, and all of our allies,” she said in an interview with AFP on Thursday.
The United States has also criticized Russia’s membership of the Security Council as a permanent member, stating that “a country that flagrantly violates the UN Charter and invades its neighbor has no place on the UN Security Council.” The White House spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre, said earlier that the presidency was “a largely ceremonial position.”
The Baltic states have also expressed their concern and criticized Russia’s presidency. Estonia’s permanent mission to the UN said in a statement on Twitter that it was “shameful and humiliating” for the UN Security Council to have Russia as its president. Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, mockingly congratulated Russia on assuming the presidency and called it a #BadRussianJoke.
The Lithuanian foreign ministry’s strategic communications division tweeted that “this presidency is a #BadRussianJoke,” saying it was fitting that Moscow assumes the role on “April Fool’s Day”. It said that “Russia, waging a brutal war against Ukraine, can only lead #InsecurityCouncil.”
In conclusion, Russia’s presidency of the UN Security Council in April has sparked outrage and concerns from Ukraine and Western countries due to its ties with the West being at their lowest point since the Cold War over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite holding little influence on decisions, Moscow will be in charge of the agenda, with concerns raised about its behavior during the presidency. The United States and Baltic states have also criticized Russia’s membership of the Security Council as a permanent member.
