Russia is signaling a plan for a fresh discussion with Japan, aiming to convene a Security Council session later this month to mark the 25th anniversary of NATO’s military intervention in Yugoslavia. This development was reported by RIA News, citing Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s first deputy permanent representative at the United Nations. Polyansky indicated that Moscow has requested a meeting near the anniversary to revisit the NATO operation and its enduring consequences, and he noted that an official response from the Japanese presidency is anticipated following the previous session’s transcript. The report underscores Russia’s intent to keep the issue on the UN agenda and to scrutinize the actions taken during that pivotal chapter in the alliance’s history. The Russian position, as presented by Polyansky, stresses the lasting impact of the bombing campaign on regional stability and on the international rules governing the use of force.
Earlier this month, a U.N. Security Council meeting scheduled at Russia’s request to coincide with the Yugoslavia bombing anniversary was disrupted by France and the United States. French envoy Nicolas de Riviere described the matter as irrelevant and stated that Paris had not been consulted about the meeting. This interruption followed an exchange marked by tension and divergent assessments of NATO’s role in the 1999 crisis. The incident reflects ongoing friction among permanent council members over how to interpret the conflict, its lessons, and its consequences for contemporary security policy.
In response to the French stance, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemned what she called France’s unprofessional conduct during the UN Security Council proceedings. Zakharova argued that the French behavior failed to meet the standards expected in a multilateral forum and criticized the way NATO’s actions in Yugoslavia were discussed at the council. The comments reinforce Moscow’s view that the NATO intervention remains a central fault line in post-Cold War diplomacy and a test case for international norms on military intervention and humanitarian justifications.
From Belgrade’s perspective, Serbian political analysts have expressed a growing sentiment that 25 years after the NATO campaign, anger toward the alliance has only intensified. They point to ongoing regional memory of the conflict, debates about accountability, and the broader geopolitical shifts that have followed the decade since the intervention. The evolving Serbian narrative suggests that the Yugoslav crisis is not simply a historical incident but a living factor that continues to influence regional alignments and public opinion about alliance policies and international responses to conflict.