The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine plans to discuss the legitimacy of Russia’s stay in the UN Security Council. This was announced by the head of the ministry, Dmitry Kuleba, in the broadcast of the telethon.
“We will officially take this position… Our question is very simple: Does Russia have the right to remain a permanent member of the UN Security Council and to participate in the United Nations in general? We have a convincing and logical answer – no, we don’t,” he said.
“People are already asking the question – what should Russia do so that it does not pose a threat to peace and security,” but these questions have so far “not been discussed at press conferences and public statements by leaders,” the diplomat said. states and governments.”
More from Kiev
About a week ago, Kuleba said Ukraine would officially prove that Russia is replacing permanent membership of the UN Security Council “without proper legal justification”. According to him, Kyiv will also prove that Moscow got it as a result of using a “fake plan”.
“Ukraine is preparing to take official steps to prove that the Russian Federation is illegally a member of the UN Security Council and initiate a political process to deprive it of itself,” Kuleba said.
He acknowledged that the process would not be easy. But the minister believes the time has come to speak clearly and concretely about “Russia’s usurpation of a seat in the UN Security Council and the United Nations as a whole”.
“Not intrigues and intrigues that will satisfy Russia, but international law – this is what Ukraine will insist on,” Kuleba warned.
On October 22, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine again called for Russia’s removal from the list of permanent members of the UN Security Council: “After committing the crime of aggression against Ukraine, numerous war crimes undermining global food and energy security, Russia still remains in the UN. Should he occupy the seat of a permanent member of the Security Council?
Ukraine has been demanding such a step from its Western partners for almost a year. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking via video link at a meeting of the UN Security Council, said that “Russia does not have the right to participate in the discussion and vote on an unprovoked and unprovoked war in Ukraine.” colonial nature.”
“It is possible, necessary, fair. “Russia has no right to remain in the UN Security Council,” he said.
What does the US think about the removal of the Russian Federation from the UN Security Council?
The White House has acknowledged that there is no way yet to suspend Russia’s membership of the Council.
“We’ve been very consistent about this. If there was a way to suspend Russia’s membership in the UN Security Council, we would have addressed it immediately. Unfortunately, we don’t have the opportunity to change the UN’s rules,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, spokesperson for the US presidential administration.
In his view, Russia’s actions in Ukraine are outrageous and violate the UN charter and insult the mandate of the Security Council. He noted that the United States is working to exclude Russia from senior positions in other organs of the UN system.
EU position
Just like the US, the EU acknowledges that it is impossible to remove Russia from its seat on the UN Security Council. But the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said in an interview with RTVi that the union leadership wanted to develop a “freeze” mechanism.
“For me, a suspension mechanism should be established: I am not talking about the complete exclusion of Russia, but at least the suspension of Russia’s membership in the Security Council.”
However, the official said this could lead to “a deadlock of the UN security concept”. Still, Michel argues that there is “a flaw in international law” as a permanent member of the UN Security Council could, in his view, violate international law.
We have seen very well that the UN security concept was already in bad shape before this war started and that it had many difficulties in functioning in solving major international problems.
According to the representative of the European Union, the UN will definitely need to be reformed in order to better take into account the balances of the modern world order.
Russia’s response
Russia has repeatedly reminded that, according to the UN Charter, Russia cannot be excluded from the Organization Council.
The “absolutely unrealistic” initiative was expressed in mid-March by the deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sergei Vershinin. He explained that this would require a vote in which two-thirds of the UN member states should speak “in favor” of the proposal.
“And all five permanent members of the UN Security Council, including Russia, must have their votes. And it is clear that such a decision will not pass,” he said in an interview with Izvestia.
The permanent members of the UN Security Council are Russia, the USA, China, the UK and France, and each of these countries has a veto right.