In April 2023, the Russian Federation held the presidency in the UN Security Council, a body designed to support international peace and security. However, the situation is totally absurd because this state is committing aggression against another sovereign state, killing children, and committing genocide of the Ukrainian people.
Over the past month alone, Russia has blown a series of strikes at the peaceful cities in Ukraine killing dozens of civilians. The most horrendous episode was the attack at a residential building in Uman killing 23 people, including six children. The occupiers reveal their terrorist nature also in how they treat the prisoners of war. Several weeks ago, the world was stirred by the scenes of a cruel murder of a Ukrainian soldier. Moreover, Ukraine has dozens of videos recording such crimes.
Nonetheless, Russia continued to hold their presidency in the UN Security Council. In addition, they reported about ensuring its efficient operations. At the same time, the aggressor was using this international platform to share their propaganda and disinformation. One such Kremlin’s strategy in the conduct of war, among others, was regular information operations, almost certainly discrediting the Ukrainian people and intending to decrease the international support for Ukraine.
The distinctions have blurred between the Skabeeva-Soloviov propaganda shows and the Nebenzya-Lavrov speeches in the UN Security Council. At the same time, the meetings convened by the aggressor highlighted their sore topics. It was the arrest warrant for Putin and Lvova-Belova, supply of Western weapons to Ukraine, sanctions policy, and the justification of the war.
Evacuation is (not) deportation: Nebenzya’s lies about Ukrainian children
One of the primary topics for discussion at the UN Security Council was the “evacuation” of Ukrainian children from the hostility area to the territory of the Russian Federation. It is related to the fact that on March, 17, 2023, the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber II issued arrest warrants for Putin and the Russian president’s commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, on suspicion of deporting Ukrainian children.
Although the Kremlin does not recognize the jurisdiction of the international court, and deems its decisions null and void, the warrant rendered the Putin's regime supporters nervous. On April 4, Russia held the Arria-Formula Meeting of the UN Security Council (informal meeting for exchange of opinions). At the meeting Russia's permanent representative, Vassily Nebenzya, labelled the topic of abducted children an element of anti-Russia information war. He accused Kyiv of forcefully withdrawing children from their parents near the hostility areas, and torturing miners for disseminating information on the positions of the Ukrainian army. He also claimed that the European countries are taking away children from the families of Ukrainian refugees, while Russia allegedly administered the evacuation to save children's lives. Nebenzya impudently degraded the system of values on the inviolability of children's rights, and even invited Lvova-Belova to attend the meeting.
However, this format caused sharp criticism in the international community and the member states of the UN Security Council. Over 50 of them condemned Russia for their attempts to deny and cover their crimes. And not without a reason because according to the latest data, the terrorist state deported about 20,000 children. Moreover, they killed about 500 children. On top of that, in the end of April, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recognized as genocide the deportation and forceful relocation of Ukrainian children.
As we can see, Russian propaganda failed. As to Putin, from a global persona he is transforming into the “president via Zoom" who cannot pay international visits for the threat of arrest. Even the closest allies of the dictator, such as the South African Republic, where he could go to the BRICS summit, all signatories of the Rome Statute. Therefore, they are not ready to break their international commitments.
Kremlin’s attempts to decrease military support for Ukraine
Another critical issue for the aggressor is the supply of weapons to Ukraine for the defense of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Now, it is more than the obstacles in captured entire Ukraine or some of its parts, since the occupiers haven't been able to seize the heroic city of Bakhmut since May 2022 (!), although they engaged into the hostilities the army larger than the army of the Czech Republic or Hungary. Rapid increase of the military capabilities of Ukraine threatens Russia with a total defeat. It may bring the end to the Putin's regime.
That is why the Kremlin is running regular information operations to disrupt Ukraine's relations with the partners, and to reduce the military support. On April 10, the Russian Federation conducted in the UN Security Council the debate on the risks stemming from the violation of Interstate commitments on supply of military goods.
In fact Russia wanted to intensify control over the transfer of military equipment and weapons to Ukraine. Thus, the Kremlin suggested that more countries submit to the UN register of conventional weapons their annual national reports on exports/imports of weapons. Besides, the aggressor is concerned about the possible resumption of Soviet type weapons production, and its further transfer to Ukraine. According to Nebenzya, these products may not be produced and exported without the written consent from the Soviet Union or Russia, as its successor state.
At the same time, Nebenzya accused the “Kyiv regime” of shelling civilians and civilian infrastructure from the western weapons. Moreover, according to the Russian permanent envoy, the West is receiving exorbitant profits from the exports of weapons because the Sumo-sized amounts end up in the pockets of officials through the “merging of defense industry and national governments.”
However, Russia will have to face the disappointment, too. The military assistance to Ukraine will still be delivered according to the previously planned schedules. The aid is administered by individual governments or the partner states, and also within the Rammstein format. According to the official data, over 9 new Ukrainian tank brigades have taken the training and received the ammunition due to partner support.
Tampering with the UN statute to justify the war
on April 24, the Russian Federation spoke at the open debate at the UN Security Council to defend the UN Statute principles. The aggressor invited to the meeting Russians foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. He bluntly tampered with the statutes provisions, and tried to present the sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation because of their armed aggression against Ukraine as the violation of the sovereign equality of countries.
Lavrov tried to present to Russia as a new independent center of development and lamented it had been blocked, with restricted access to the cutting edge technologies. He complained that Russia has been forcefully ousted from the supply chains, and the assets suffer confiscation through the unilateral illegitimate sanctions. On the other hand, Russia speaks against any sanctions through the UN Security Council only, where it's representatives have the veto power.
Sergei Lavrov tampered with the UN statute provision about the sovereign equality of the states when he accused the USA of attempts at global domination. According to the foreign minister, the world needs a new multipolar structure that “will not be rule-based.”
Furthermore, trying to justify the war, Lavrov referred to the Statute’s provision on the self-determination of nations, and to the provisions of the 1970 UN Declaration on Principles of International Law. According to him, the document is based on the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of the states that “adhere to the principle of equality and self-determination of nations, and have governments representing the entire nation living in that territory.” However, according to Lavrov, the ”Kyiv Nazi regime” cannot allegedly represent the interests of the people who had not accepted the results of the 2014 “bloody coup d’etat.”
In fact, the declaration quoted by Lavrov includes a major principle of non-application of force and the threat of force regarding other states intending to break their territorial integrity and sovereignty. In other words, the multi-dimensional and overt manipulation with the international documents at the event central for the Kremlin failed to justify the aggression against Ukraine. On the contrary, it showed yet again that Russia is an impudent perpetrator of international law. Most member states of the UN Security Council sharply responded to the flurry of disinformation, and treated the meeting as Russia's impudent attempt to lecture them.
Reforming global institutions: Russia doesn't belong to the UN Security Council
unfortunately the world has not yet reached a certain political decision to expel Russia from the Security Council, and from the UN in general. In December 2022, Ukraine initiated the process, when we urged to resume the application of the UN Statute on legitimacy of the Russian Federation’s membership in the international organization.
Ukraine 's Foreign Ministry highlighted that the current UN Statute doesn't have the words “Russian Federation.” Besides, the country had never taken any legitimate procedure for membership, like the Czech Republic or Slovakia did. In fact, the name tag “USSR” was merely replaced with the “RF.”
Russia's seat in the UN Security Council is equally illegitimate. They were accepted to the council upon the request of the then Russian President Boris Yeltsin in December 1991. Recently, Ukraine 's permanent representative to the UN, Serhiy Kyslytsia, posted the notorious letter.
Legal and especially moral component of Russia's membership in the UN is a highly doubtful. However, according to Kyslytsia, It is currently impossible to expel Russia from the Security Council. It requires the reform in the organization. Interestingly enough, Russia also speaks for the reform of the UN Security Council. Specifically, they suggest expanding its membership to include the countries of Africa and Latin America that still have Kremlin’s allies. However, Ukraine's victory in the war may change the aggressor’s intentions, and shift the discussion about excluding Russia from the UN Security Council into the practical domain. After all, terrorists shall not belong in an International Security body.
Dmytro Bashtovyi for Цензор.НЕТ