NEW YORK USA: The international legal order and the UN-centric system of global politics are under severe strain, said Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a Security Council meeting chaired by Russia.
Lavrov emphasized that resolving global conflicts requires addressing their root causes and restoring faith in collective efforts for justice.
Lavrov accused the US and its allies of obstructing international cooperation and creating global instability. He argued that these countries were taking entire regions hostage and diverting attention from essential efforts to address conflicts, reduce inequality, and eliminate terrorism, drug trafficking, and famine. According to Lavrov, the US’s attitude towards its allies, demanding obedience at the expense of national interests, exemplifies its declared exceptionalism.
Lavrov criticized Western countries for selectively interpreting the UN Charter based on directives from Washington, highlighting the US’s dismissal of Resolution 2728 concerning the Gaza Strip ceasefire as non-binding. He likened this approach to George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” where some are deemed “more equal than others,” condemning nations defending their national interests to pariah status and sanctions.
He argued that the US’s long-standing hegemonic policies have ensured its dominance in Euro-Atlantic security arrangements, leading to the subjugation of Europe and the containment of Russia. Lavrov blamed NATO’s expansion for the crisis in Ukraine, particularly referencing the 2014 ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych as a result of NATO’s “reckless expansion.”
Lavrov also criticized the West’s sanctions, trade restrictions, and barriers to technology access, arguing they contradict true multilateralism and hinder the UN’s 2030 sustainable development agenda. He accused the US of abandoning developing countries and the principles of a free market economy, fair competition, private property rights, presumption of innocence, and free movement of people, goods, and capital.
Lavrov called for a reform of the multilateral system, particularly the Security Council, to reduce the overrepresentation of Western countries and increase representation from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He also advocated changes in the staffing policies of the UN Secretariat to ensure impartiality and neutrality.
In response, US representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused Russia of undermining global institutions and violating the UN Charter, particularly concerning territorial integrity and human rights. She condemned Russia’s war against Ukraine, highlighting its impact on global food insecurity, the unlawful transfer of people, including children, and nuclear brinkmanship.
Thomas-Greenfield acknowledged the imperfections of the UN, attributing them to a world filled with conflict and contradiction. She affirmed the US’s commitment to modernizing and strengthening the UN to better reflect the priorities of all member states, including developing countries. This commitment includes reforming the Security Council to incorporate geographically diverse perspectives and ensuring the permanent representation of the Global South.
She pledged the US’s adherence to international treaties and conventions, including international humanitarian law and World Trade Organization rules, not to suppress other nations but to help them build up and ensure fair play for everyone, particularly developing nations often exploited by Russia.
