Russia assumes presidency of UN Security Council despite Ukraine’s objections

Russia has assumed the presidency of the United Nations (UN) Security Council despite calls by Ukraine for its members to block the move. The presidency rotates among the council’s 15 members on a monthly basis. Russia had last held the presidency in February 2022 when it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As such, the Security Council is now being led by a country whose president, Vladimir Putin, is subject to an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes.

The International Criminal Court, which is not a UN institution, issued the warrant for Putin last month. While Ukraine has protested Russia’s presidency, the United States, another permanent member of the council, said it could not block Russia from assuming the role. The other permanent members are the UK, France, and China.

While the role of the presidency is mostly procedural, Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, has stated that he intends to oversee several debates, including one on arms control. He has also said that he plans to discuss a “new world order” to replace the “unipolar one.”

Ukrainian officials have criticized Russia’s presidency, with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba calling it the “worst joke ever for April Fool’s Day” and a “stark reminder that something is wrong with the way international security architecture is functioning.” Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak described the move as “another rape of international law.”

US President Joe Biden’s press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Russia’s presence on the Security Council cannot be changed under current international law, adding that the US expects Moscow “to continue to use its seat on the council to spread disinformation” and justify its actions in Ukraine.

The UN Security Council is an international body responsible for maintaining peace. Five nations are permanently represented on the Security Council, reflecting the post-World War II power structure. Russia’s status as a permanent member allows it to veto resolutions, with nine votes in favour required to pass a Security Council vote. In February last year, Russia vetoed a resolution to end its invasion of Ukraine, while in September, it vetoed a resolution calling for the reversal of its illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine.