Russia to Chair Security Council This Month... Ukraine Calls It "Absurd"

This month, when Russia took on the rotating chairmanship of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Ukraine responded with disbelief. It is argued that it is inappropriate for Russia, which is at the center of an international conflict, to hold the chairmanship in the UNSC, whose purpose is to maintain international peace and security.

On March 31 (local time), Serhii Kyslytsya, Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, criticized, "The Security Council as designed is powerless and incompetent," adding, "It fails to address its top priority of preventing and managing conflicts."

He added, "April 1 being April Fools' Day, the absurdity has reached a whole new level."

Ambassador Kyslytsya announced that Ukraine would not attend UNSC meetings during April, when Russia holds the chairmanship. Although Ukraine is not a Security Council member, it has frequently attended UNSC meetings since Russia's invasion in February last year to express its position on the war.

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, is delivering a speech via video at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the Ukraine war held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, in August last year.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The British Guardian, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine continuing for 14 months, said, "Putting Russia in the 'driver's seat' of the UN Security Council in such an environment is a cruel April Fools' joke."

The Security Council consists of five permanent members?the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia?and ten non-permanent members that rotate every two years. The 15 members take turns chairing the council each month, and April is Russia's turn.

The chairmanship does not grant especially strong powers, but it can influence the scheduling of meetings. Although no Ukraine-related meetings are scheduled this month, Russia plans to hold three Russia-led meetings as chair.

Western permanent members and non-permanent members supporting them reportedly do not plan a full boycott of Russia's chairmanship. However, they are expected to express their protest by downgrading the rank of diplomats attending Russia-hosted meetings or events.