“Slap In The Face”: Ukraine On Russia’s Security Council Presidency

On Saturday, Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine, said that Russia’s holding the UN Security Council presidency for April is “a slap in the face to the international community.”

At the start of Russia’s rotating presidency of the body, Dmytro Kuleba urged the current UNSC members to thwart any attempts by Russia to abuse its presidency.

In a tweet, Dmytro Kuleba referred to Russia as “an outlaw on the UNSC” in a tweet.

According to reports from Moscow, Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister, will preside over a UN Security Council discussion on “effective multilateralism” later this month.

According to Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, Sergei Lavrov will preside over a discussion on the Middle East on April 25.

The role of Russia and its permanent seat on the Security Council have drawn criticism from the United States.

According to White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, “a country that blatantly violates the UN Charter and invades its neighbour has no place on the UN Security Council.”

She continued, calling the presidency “a largely ceremonial position,” noting that “Unfortunately, Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council and there is no feasible international legal pathway to change that reality.”

The Security Council presidency by Russia, according to Dmytro Kuleba, is “a bad joke.”

The 15 member states alternate holding the presidency each month, and Moscow last presided over the council in February 2022.

Russia would control the agenda but have little influence on decisions.