Ukraine Rails Against Russia's UN Security Council Presidency

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Facts

  • Russia took up the monthly presidency of the United Nations Security Council on Saturday, which Ukrainian Pres. Zelensky characterized it as an 'absurd and destructive' move.1
  • In his nightly address Saturday, Zelenskyy said: 'Yesterday, the Russian army killed another Ukrainian child — a five-month-old boy named Danylo. One of the hundreds of artillery strikes that the terrorist state launches every day… And at the same time, Russia chairs the UN Security Council. It is hard to imagine something evident that proves the complete bankruptcy of such institutions...'2
  • Each of the Council's 15 member countries — five permanent and ten non-permanent — takes up the presidency for a month on a rotating basis. The last time Russia held the presidency was in Feb. 2022, when its Pres. Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.3
  • While the Council presidency is mainly ceremonial, Moscow's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, asserts that Russia plans to exercise all its rights and oversee multiple critical geopolitical debates.4
  • Though the United States urged Russia to 'conduct itself professionally' as the leader of the UN's most powerful body, it expects Moscow 'to continue to use its seat on the council to spread disinformation and justify its actions in Ukraine.'5
  • Last year, Russia vetoed a resolution that intended to end its invasion of Ukraine and a resolution calling for reversing its annexation of four Ukrainian territories. In March, Putin became the first head of state of a permanent member of the Council to be subjected to an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes.6

Sources: 1Politico, 2President, 3Independent, 4Washington examiner, 5Reuters and 6BBC News.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Time. Russia's presidency is a slap in the face to the international community. Despite being a permanent member, Russia — which systematically violates the essence of the UN legal framework and plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus — is presiding over a body whose only mission is to safeguard and protect international security. Putin, who is now formally considered a war criminal by the Hague, will try and use the presidency to stir up trouble for the Ukrainians and push his narratives about the war.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Washington Post. The West cannot deprive Russia of its legitimate legal status to chair the UN Security Council or boot Russia off the entire UN. It's hypocritical to corner Russia over its campaign in Ukraine but not the United States — a permanent member of the Council — for breaching the UN charter and illegally invading Iraq two decades ago.
  • Cynical narrative, as provided by PBS NewsHour. The authority, legitimacy, and effectiveness of the UN Security Council have been weakened since it was created 75 years ago. As the world has changed profoundly, it is finding it difficult to maintain international peace and security and is becoming less and less responsive in crisis after crisis. The Council must be reformed or dissolved as it fails to take enough action to prevent conflicts, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Predictions