During a United Nations Security Council meeting chaired by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Ukraine’s international allies criticized Russia for violating the principles of the UN’s charter. Lavrov blamed the West, particularly the US, for a “profound crisis” in the UN system and denounced the “unipolar world order” that took effect after the end of the Cold War. He warned that the world was at a threshold “possibly even more dangerous” than during the Cold War and accused Western countries of being responsible for the crisis in the UN system.
The war in Ukraine has caused massive suffering and devastation to the country and its people, and added to the global economic dislocation triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The multilateral system is under greater strain than at any time since the creation of the United Nations, and tensions between major powers are at an historic high. The risks of conflict, through misadventure or miscalculation, are also high.
During the meeting, a string of Security Council members, including the US, France, and the United Kingdom, condemned Russia for its war on Ukraine. The UK’s Ambassador Barbara Woodward said that the world has seen “what Russia’s idea of multilateralism means for the world” – the trampling of the UN Charter and a war that has brought unimaginable suffering to Ukraine and been “an unmitigated disaster for Russia, too”.
Washington’s UN ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, stressed the importance of defending the values of the UN charter and criticized Russia for its actions during the 14-month war. She said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was not an isolated incident and that it concerns all of us because today it’s Ukraine, but tomorrow it could be another country invaded by its larger neighbor.
In conclusion, the UN Security Council meeting chaired by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov focused on protecting the principles of the UN’s charter, which Moscow itself is accused of violating by invading Ukraine last year. Lavrov blamed the West, particularly the US, for a “profound crisis” in the UN system and denounced the “unipolar world order” that took effect after the end of the Cold War. Ukraine’s international allies criticized Russia for violating the principles of the UN’s charter and warned that the world is at a threshold “possibly even more dangerous” than during the Cold War.