The head of the Duma Committee on International Relations, Leonid Slutsky of the Liberal Democratic Party, described Kyiv’s demand to remove Russia from the United Nations as a clumsy, “filkin letter” that lacks substance. He argued that the move is crafted to generate a populist buzz rather than reflect sound policy. Slutsky asserted through his telegraph channel that the appeal fails on both its reasoning and its arguments, effectively backtracking from any credible stance.
Slutsky explained that ejecting Russia from the UN would be unfeasible and strategically dangerous because Russia holds a pivotal position within the organization. He warned that excluding a permanent member would undermine a central international body, likening the idea to laying mines under an essential global architecture. According to him, such a step would destabilize the UN rather than advance any legitimate peacekeeping or security objectives.
Earlier, Ukraine’s foreign ministry had pushed for depriving Russia of its permanent membership on the UN Security Council and for Russia to be completely removed from the United Nations. Officials argued that UN membership is conditional upon adherence to the principles of peace and international law, and that Russia has repeatedly bypassed the procedures established by the UN Charter and the General Assembly to safeguard those norms. The ministry claimed that Moscow has exploited procedural gaps to maintain influence within the Security Council against the broader goals of international legitimacy.
In the same political breath, Kyiv pressed forward with legal arguments that frame Russia as a destabilizing force on the world stage. Ukrainian authorities argued that the country’s actions violate several UN principles and threaten regional and global stability, making a case for intensive scrutiny and potential sanctions that could curb Moscow’s capacity to shape international outcomes through its permanent seat and veto power.
During recent parliamentary sessions, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada moved to amplify its position by drafting a resolution that would recognize Russia as a state that poses a threat to international peace and security. The measure seeks formal recognition of Moscow’s alleged terroristic actions and a request for reassessment of its membership in the UN, reflecting Kyiv’s broader strategy to isolate Russia in multilateral forums until it complies with international norms. While the draft has not yet become law, it signals Kyiv’s intent to pursue collective pressure within international institutions and to rally support for stricter measures against Moscow on the global stage.
Observers note that the dispute underscores the broader contest over who steers international institutions and how rules are applied to powerful members. The debate highlights tensions between upholding the UN’s collective security framework and preserving the authority that comes with permanent membership. The outcome of these discussions could influence negotiations, security alignments, and the strategic calculus of allied nations seeking to balance pressure on Russia with the stability that the UN system is designed to protect.