KYIV: Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has criticized Russia’s presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the month of April, calling it “a slap in the face to the global community”.
Kuleba urged the other members of the Security Council to prevent Russia from abusing its presidency.
The Ukraine Foreign Minister’s comments came as Russia assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council.
Moscow last chaired the Security Council in February 2022. During this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to chair a UN Security Council meeting on “effective multilateralism” and lead a debate on the Middle East on April 25.
However, the United States has criticized Russia’s role in the Security Council and its permanent seat. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said that “a country that flagrantly violates the UN Charter and invades Ukraine has no place on the UN Security Council”.
She added that the presidency is “a largely ceremonial position” and that Russia holds little influence on decisions.
UN Security Council presidency
Kuleba had earlier called Russia’s Security Council presidency “a bad joke”. In a statement on Twitter, he referred to Russia as “an outlaw on the UNSC”.
The presidency rotates every month between the 15 member states, and Russia would be in charge of the agenda for this month.
Kuleba’s comments highlight the ongoing tension between Ukraine and Russia, which has been ongoing since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea.
The situation in Ukraine is likely to be on the agenda during Russia’s presidency of the Security Council, which runs until the end of April.
