Russia has assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council, despite Ukraine’s objections. This move has been met with criticism as the country’s president, Vladimir Putin, is subject to an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued the warrant last month.
The US has said that it could not block Russia from assuming the presidency as the UN Charter does not allow for the removal of a permanent member. The other permanent members of the council are the UK, US, France, and China. The role is mostly procedural, but Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, plans to oversee several debates, including one on arms control.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Russia’s presidency “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”. President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the Security Council to reform or “dissolve altogether”, accusing it of failing to take enough action to prevent Russia’s invasion.
The UN Security Council is an international body responsible for maintaining peace. It consists of five permanent members and ten non-permanent members. The five permanent members have veto power, which Russia has used in the past to block resolutions related to its invasion of Ukraine.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that unfortunately, Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council and no feasible international legal pathway exists to change that reality. She added that the US expects Moscow “to continue to use its seat on the council to spread disinformation” and justify its actions in Ukraine.
Russia’s presence as a permanent member on the Security Council has been met with criticism from Ukraine and other countries. The country is accused of war crimes such as aggressive war, violations of humanitarian and criminal law, destruction of the UN Charter, and neglecting nuclear safety. It remains to be seen if Vladimir Putin will ever face a war crimes trial.