Ukraine Decries Symbolic Blow As Russia a Assumes UN Presidency

There has been widespread criticism and outrage from Ukraine and Western countries over Russia’s presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of April 2023. Moscow assumes the presidency as part of its monthly rotation between the Security Council’s 15 member states. Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, said Russia’s tenure was a “symbolic blow”. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia assuming the presidency was “a slap in the face to the international community”. The White House urged Russia to “conduct itself professionally” when it assumes the role, saying there was no means to block Moscow from the post. The Baltic states also expressed their concern. International Crisis Group’s Richard Gowan told Al Jazeera that “we shouldn’t overestimate the importance of Russia having the presidency. The presidency is largely a procedural, functional job. It’s about convening meetings, it’s about shuffling paper.” The statement suggests that the speaker believes Russia is engaged in a disinformation campaign against Ukraine, the United States, and their allies. They also express their intention to continue raising concerns about Russia’s actions and condemning what they perceive to be war crimes and human rights violations in Ukraine. This statement reflects the ongoing tensions between Russia and the United States over a range of issues, including Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, its involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and allegations of interference in U.S. elections. The speaker’s comments suggest that the United States remains deeply concerned about Russia’s behavior and is committed to countering it.