The UN Security Council was asked to address Ukraine at the request of the Russian mission for a meeting on March 22. This was conveyed by Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s First Deputy Chairman of the Permanent Mission to the United Nations, in remarks reported by TASS. The exchange highlighted a shift in the public narrative from the North Atlantic Alliance, which had previously argued that Ukraine should join NATO to bolster Kiev’s security against Russia. In the latest rhetoric, Western officials have shifted to warnings that Ukraine must not lose ground, asserting that Russia could threaten NATO members if allowed to act unchecked. The remarks underscored continued clashes over strategic objectives and interpretations, according to the same reporting. Polyansky emphasized that these statements lack both logic and consistency, noting the way Russia is portrayed as an aggressor while Western actions against Moscow and Ukraine are perceived differently by the audience. He signaled that all these contentious moments would be discussed in detail with Western colleagues at the separate Security Council meeting requested for March 22, as reported by TASS.
Earlier, Dmitry Polyansky, then the First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, asserted that Moscow would not seek to remove Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, arguing that Russian military priorities involved broader strategic aims rather than toppling a single leader. The assertion reflects Moscow’s framing of its objectives in the region and the emphasis on broader regional security concerns, as reported by TASS.
Analysts note that within Western capitals, some observers have floated ideas about Ukraine assuming a different leadership role in any future security arrangement. A domestic analyst in Russia, Sergei Naryshkin, who previously led the SVR, suggested in Western commentary that there is support among some circles for finding a new leadership figure to replace Zelensky. The commentary points to ongoing debates about state leadership and the broader security architecture in Europe, as reported by TASS.