Ukraine furious over Russian UN Security Council presidency

Russia, whose leader is accused of war crimes, assumed charge of the United Nations Security Council on Saturday causing fury in Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy calling it an absurd and destructive move. “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.Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Russia’s presidency of the Security Council a “slap in the face to the international community.” Zelenskiy said it was time for a general overhaul of global institutions, including the Security Council. “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.

Zelensky criticizes UN for allowing ‘terrorist state’ to chair Security Council.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that with Russia chairing the UN Security Council, “it is hard to imagine something more evident that proves the complete bankruptcy of such institutions.”

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) April 1, 2023

The last time Russia held the rotating presidency of the body responsible for maintaining peace and combating acts of international aggression was in February 2022 when Moscow troops launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The presidency rotates alphabetically each month among the 15 members. Although it is largely procedural, the Kremlin and other Russian officials vowed to “exercise all its rights” in the role.