As Russia’s international minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, chaired a Safety Council assembly on Monday on the United Nations, he confronted rebuke from Western members and the U.N.’s high official over Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
With Russia’s monthlong time period as rotating chair of the council nearing an finish, the Monday assembly was a signature occasion for Moscow. Mr. Lavrov picked a subject that Russia has been accused of violating when it invaded Ukraine final yr — the upkeep of worldwide peace and safety and defending the rules of the U.N. constitution by means of multilateralism — and used the chance to shift blame to the West.
“Let’s name a spade a spade, no one allowed the Western minority to talk for all of humankind, they must be well mannered and respect all members of the worldwide group,” Mr. Lavrov stated in a protracted and wide-ranging speech that touched on Western involvement in conflicts together with the wars in Iraq and Libya, and the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan in World Warfare II.
Earlier than Mr. Lavrov spoke, the U.N. secretary common, António Guterres, advised the Council that the multilateral international system was “underneath better pressure than at any time for the reason that creation of the United Nations” and warned that tensions between main powers elevated the danger of battle.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in violation of the United Nations Constitution and worldwide regulation, is inflicting large struggling and devastation to the nation and its individuals, and including to the worldwide financial dislocation triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Mr. Guterres stated.
The US and European members of the Council had declined to ship their international ministers to the assembly, however their U.N. ambassadors attended. China, the United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Gabon have been among the many members represented on the ministerial stage.
Western nations have accused Russia of abusing its everlasting seat on the Safety Council to unfold disinformation and propaganda in regards to the conflict in Ukraine. They may not cease Russia from taking its flip to preside over the Council, however have urged Russia to conduct its presidency professionally and continued to sentence its aggression in Ukraine.
Earlier than the assembly, the European Union’s ambassador to the United Nations, Olof Skoog, delivered an announcement on behalf of the bloc as all of its 27 ambassadors stood subsequent to him.
“By organizing this debate, Russia is making an attempt to painting itself as a defender of the U.N. Constitution and multilateralism,” he stated. “Nothing could be farther from the reality.”
He added: “In every single place you look Russia is in contempt.”
The U.S. ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, introduced along with her to the assembly Elizabeth Whelan, whose brother, Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, is serving a 16-year jail sentence in Russia on what the USA says are fabricated prices of espionage. Ms. Thomas-Greenfield stated Russia’s conflict struck on the coronary heart of the U.N. Constitution and referred to as it “hypocritical” for convening the assembly.
“This unlawful, unprovoked, and pointless conflict runs straight counter to our most sacred precept: {that a} conflict of aggression and territorial conquest is rarely, ever acceptable,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield stated.
Later Monday, Mr. Lavrov met one-on-one with Mr. Guterres and mentioned the Black Sea grain deal, which has allowed Ukraine to export grain by way of its southern ports. Russia has stated it won’t prolong the deal past Could 18, however Mr. Guterres provided a proposal to increase and increase the settlement, in accordance with a abstract of the assembly launched by the U.N.
The abstract didn’t specify particulars of the proposal, contained in a letter to the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, however stated comparable letters had been despatched to the settlement’s different signatories, Turkey and Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Mr. Lavrov will chair a Council assembly on the battle between Israel and the Palestinians.
Russia’s mission to the U.N. stated in a tweet that the USA had denied visas to journalists who wished to journey with Mr. Lavrov to New York and accused it of violating its host settlement with the United Nations, a choice that seems to have angered Mr. Lavrov, who talked about it in his speech on the Council.