Ukraine: Ukraine has called Russia’s presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of April “a symbolic blow,” joining the Western countries.

Moscow assumes the presidency as part of its monthly rotation among the Security Council’s 15 member states.

“It’s not just a shame. It is another symbolic blow to the rules-based system of international relations,” Mr. Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, wrote on Twitter.

According to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Mr. Dmytro Kuleba, Russia assuming the presidency was “a slap in the face to the international community”.

“I urge the current UNSC members to thwart any Russian attempts to abuse its presidency,” Mr. Kuleba wrote on Twitter, calling Russia “an outlaw on the UNSC.”

Moscow last chaired the council in February 2022, the same month it invaded Ukraine, prompting Kyiv to call for Russia’s removal from the council.

According to reports, Russia’s Foreign Minister Mr. Sergey Lavrov is planning to chair a UN Security Council meeting in April on “effective multilateralism.”

Furthermore, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ms. Maria Zakharova announced that Mr. Lavrov would lead a debate on the Middle East on April 25.

The US has also criticised Russia’s membership in the Security Council and its status as a permanent member.

“A country that flagrantly violates the UN Charter and invades its neighbour has no place on the UN Security Council,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre commented.

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