It wasn’t an April Fool’s joke. Russia took over the presidency of the UN Security Council last Saturday and for the whole of the month. A more symbolic role than anything else but which has already raised numerous criticisms, in particular from Kiev and its allies, while the body is responsible for “maintaining or restoring international peace and security”, according to its official description.
The presidency of the Security Council being a rotating position, in alphabetical order, between the permanent and non-permanent members, it is therefore Russia’s turn to return to this position. The last time she occupied it was in February 2022, the month of the outbreak of the invasion of Ukraine.
What role will Russia have as President of the UN Security Council?
The Presidency of the Security Council gives certain prerogatives in terms of the agenda. But as a permanent member, Russia already has the ability to get emergency meetings when it asks for them. “The President of the Security Council has no responsibility whatsoever”, assures on LCI Gérard Araud, former French ambassador to the United States, who has already chaired the Security Council three times.
“He thanks the representative of Colombia for her speech, gives the floor to the permanent representative of Belgium, that’s about all he does”, he illustrates. “We are in the symbol, which is important”, summarizes Gérard Araud who denies the fact that this position will allow Russia to push these pawns.
What is the program ?
The country holding the presidency also usually organizes two or three specific meetings on selected topics. The first will take place on April 10 and will focus on “risks arising from violations of agreements regulating the export of arms and military equipment” and should address arms deliveries from several countries to Ukraine, says BFM TV.
Sergueï Lavrov is announced to chair another meeting, on April 24, on “the defense of the principles of the UN charter”. “Another key event of the Russian presidency will be the high-level open debate of the (Security) Council on “Effective multilateralism through the defense of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”. This meeting will be chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,” Russian spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday. She stressed that Sergei Lavrov also intended to chair a session of debates on the Middle East on April 25.
What was Ukraine’s reaction?
“A bad joke. This is how Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reacted after the announcement. “It is difficult to imagine something that proves (more) the complete bankruptcy of such institutions”, launched for his part the Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky.
“There is no form of terror that Russia has not already exercised,” he continued, calling for “reform of global institutions, including the UN Security Council.” This “reform which is obviously long overdue consists in preventing a terrorist State (…) from destroying the world. Terrorists must lose, must be held responsible for terror and should not preside anywhere,” insisted Volodymyr Zelensky.
“The Russian presidency of the United Nations Security Council is a slap in the face of the international community”, also deplored on Twitter Dmytro Kouleba. He calls on “current members” of the UN’s executive body to “thwart any attempt” by Russia to “abuse its presidency”.
And his allies?
Like kyiv, its allies see this presidency as a risk. Starting with the European Union which “will oppose any abuse” of Moscow. “The arrival of Russia to the presidency of the UN Security Council is worthy of an April Fool’s joke”, thus affirmed Sunday the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell on Twitter. “Despite being a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia continues to violate the very essence of the UN legal framework,” he denounced.
“As you know, Russia has chaired the Security Council since April 1. It’s like an April Fool’s joke,” US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters on Monday. “The truth is, it’s a rotating seat. We expect them to behave in a professional manner,” she acknowledged.
“But we also expect them to use their headquarters to spread disinformation and to promote their own agenda with regard to Ukraine, and we are ready to point fingers whenever they try to do so. do,” she said. For his part, Gérard Araud recalls that several countries just as controversial as Vladimir Putin’s Russia have also held the presidency of the UN Security Council, such as those led by “Stalin, Mao Zedong, Muammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein… And I never heard anyone protest. »
How is Moscow defending itself?
On the Moscow side, the position of the European Union or the United States is “in the vein of the Western narrative”, lamented the Russian ambassador Vassili Nebenzia. He in turn accuses Kiev’s allies of “spreading disinformation” including “about the situation of Ukrainian children allegedly kidnapped in Ukraine and taken to Russia against their will”.
“Russia does not abuse the prerogatives of the presidency. On the one hand there is the national position and on the other the role of the presidency of the Council”, insisted the Russian ambassador during the press conference which marks the start of each rotating presidency of the Council.
