President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine blasted Russia, whose commander is accused of war crimes, for taking over the UN Security Council on Saturday, calling it an absurd and destructive move.
The last time Russia presided over the body tasked with upholding international harmony and thwarting acts of aggression was in February 2022, when Russian forces began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, we … have some obviously absurd and destructive news,” Zelenskiy said in his daily video address, adding that Russian shelling had killed a five-month-old boy on Friday.
“And at the same time Russia is chairing the UN Security Council. It’s hard to imagine anything that proves more the total bankruptcy of such institutions,” he said.
Each month, the 15 members alternate holding the chair in alphabetical order. The Kremlin and other Russian officials vowed to “exercise all its rights” in the position, despite the fact that it is mainly procedural.
On Thursday, the United States urged Russia to “conduct itself professionally” when it takes on the position and claimed there was no way to prevent Moscow from doing so.
President Vladimir Putin and his commissioner for children’s rights were the targets of an arrest order issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), a body of international law independent of the UN, in March. The ICC accused them of committing the war crime of forcibly removing hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine, referred to Russia’s Security Council leadership as “a slap in the face to the international community.” Zelenskiy declared that the Security Council and other international organizations needed a general overhaul.
“Reform is obviously necessary to prevent a terrorist state – and any other state that wants to be a terrorist – from destroying the peace,” he said.
Approximately 400 days into the conflict, which has already claimed thousands of lives, destroyed Ukrainian cities, and driven millions of civilians from their homes, Russia is still annexing sections of the nation while advancing with its offensive in the east.
Andriy Yermak, a Zelenskiy adviser, had earlier criticized Iran as well, which Kyiv and its allies charge with supplying Russia with weapons. Tehran denies supplying Russia with weapons.
