Ukraine decries 'symbolic blow' as Russia assumes UN presidency

Ukraine has branded Russia's presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of April "a symbolic blow," joining a chorus of outrage from Western countries. Moscow assumes the presidency as part of its monthly rotation between the Security Council's 15 member states, with ties with the West at their lowest point since the Cold War over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, said Russia's tenure was a "symbolic blow." It is another symbolic blow to the rules-based system of international relations," he wrote on Twitter. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia assuming the presidency was "a slap in the face to the international community". "I urge the current UNSC members to thwart any Russian attempts to abuse its presidency," he wrote on Twitter on Saturday, calling Russia "an outlaw on the UNSC". Moscow last chaired the council in February 2022, the same month it invaded Ukraine – prompting Kyiv to call for Russia's removal from the council. Russia will hold little influence on decisions but will be in charge of the agenda. Moscow has said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is planning to chair a UN Security Council meeting this month on "effective multilateralism". Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said that Lavrov would lead a debate on the Middle East on April 25. The Kremlin said on Friday it planned to "exercise all its rights" in the role. 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. "A country that flagrantly violates the UN Charter and invades its neighbour has no place on the UN Security Council," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said on Friday. "Unfortunately, Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council and no feasible international legal pathway exists to change that reality," she added, calling the presidency "a largely ceremonial position". The Baltic states also expressed their concern. Estonia's UN envoy Rein Tammsaar, speaking also on behalf of Latvia and Lithuania, warned the Security Council Friday as it met to discuss Russia's plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus. "Isn't it telling that tomorrow, on the anniversary of the Bucha killings, Russia will assume the Presidency of the UN Security Council?