Ukraine Calls Russia UN Presidency a 'Slap in the Face'

Ukraine on Saturday branded Russia's presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of April "a slap in the face," joining a chorus of outrage from Western countries.

Moscow assumes the presidency as part of its monthly rotation between the Security Council's 15 member states, with ties with the West at their lowest point since the Cold War over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia's tenure 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," he said 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.

Russia will hold little influence on decisions but will be in charge of the agenda.

Moscow has said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is planning to chair a UN Security Council meeting this month on "effective multilateralism."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said that Lavrov would lead a debate on the Middle East on April 25.

In New York, a UN Security Council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "In the case of abuse by the presidency, we will certainly react."

However, "this is not the point. The point is the war in Ukraine and making sure that we put this to an end.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/04/01/ukraine-calls-russia-un-presidency-a-slap-in-the-face-a80683