Since 1er April, Russia assumes the presidency of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, a position it will hold for the entire month of April.
Sadly, this is not a bad April Fool’s joke, but rather an exposure of Western complacency as Russia mocks our core values and respected institutions.
Article 24(1) of the UN Charter states that its Security Council, composed of 15 UN member states, has the following functions and powers: “In order to ensure prompt and effective action by Organization, its members confer on the Security Council the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and recognize that in discharging the duties imposed on it by that responsibility, the Security Council acts on their behalf. »
In February 2022, during its last term as President of the UN Security Council, Russia launched its all-out and unprovoked war against Ukraine.
On April 12, 2022, United States President Joe Biden called the atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine during this all-out war a “genocide” and later explained, “I called it genocide because it has become increasingly clear that Putin is simply trying to eliminate even the idea of being Ukrainian. »
In addition, eight UN member states, namely Canada, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Ukraine, have recognized this genocide by appropriate acts of their parliaments.
On January 3, 2023, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal reported that the damage caused by Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine had already exceeded 700 billion US dollars.
On the eve of the first anniversary of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine, February 23, 2023, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in which it “demands once again that the Russian Federation withdraw immediately, completely and unconditionally all its military forces from Ukrainian territory within the country’s internationally recognized borders”.
On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, for “the illegal deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied areas in Ukraine to the Russian Federation , in violation… of the Rome Statute”.
This means that, throughout April 2023, the UN Security Council, whose primary responsibility is the “maintenance of international peace and security”, will be chaired by Russia, a country sanctioned by member states of the UN for its total war, and whose president is wanted for his involvement in the heinous crime of the illegal deportation to Russia of the most vulnerable people in society, namely innocent children.
This not only defies all logic and basic common sense, but also demonstrates a lack of firm political will from the West to take all necessary steps to stop a genocide and ensure that Ukraine in 2023 liberates all occupied territories. by Russia.
The absolute absurdity of Russia’s presidency of the UN Security Council should be a serious wake-up call for the international community to take all necessary measures to help Ukraine fully recover and then protect its integrity territory, which will promote peace, security and stability in the world.
* Eugene Czolij was president of the Ukrainian World Congress from 2008 to 2018