Russia backs India for UNSC bid, puts veto power against West

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday backed India’s candidature for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), while opposing the allocation of additional permanent seats to Western countries.  Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, Lavrov said UNSC reform should broaden representation from the Global South, particularly Asia, Africa and Latin America. Lavrov accused the West of continuously pumping weapons into Ukraine while helping target drones and missiles at Russia's civilians and civilian infrastructure. He also mentioned that Europe raised an anti-Moscow regime in Kyivv, in order to control the Russian influence.“UN Security Council reform cannot involve any additional seats being allocated to Western countries, especially to Germany and Japan, who are now on the path to militarism and revanchism,” Lavrov said.

Russia supports India and Brazil for permanent seats on the UN Security Council, while rejecting Germany and Japan. At the UNGA, FM Sergey Lavrov called for stronger representation for Asia, Africa and Latin America. pic.twitter.com/uAkDDENSSu

— Devansh Kumar (@BharatKaDevansh) September 26, 2026

India’s bid received support from other countries during the ongoing UNGA general debate. Mauritian Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful said his country supported the G4 and L69 positions on UNSC reform and reiterated support for India’s candidature for a permanent seat. Portugal also backed structural reform of the UNSC, with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro calling for a more representative Council with permanent representation for Africa, Brazil and India.
The five permanent members, China, France, Russia, the UK and the US, currently hold veto powers, while 10 non-permanent members serve two-year terms. Any amendment to the UN Charter requires a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of UN member states, including all five permanent members.