Ukraine challenges Russia’s UN seat, wants it stripped of veto powers
- Kyiv questions whether Russia had the right to take the Soviet Union’s place in the international body after the USSR collapsed 31 years ago
- Ukraine says the Russian Federation bypassed procedures in the UN Charter, simply retaining the USSR’s seat instead of applying for membership
Ukraine has asked members of the United Nations to review Russia’s place in the international organisation and strip it of its veto-wielding permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Ukraine is challenging whether Russia had the right to take the Soviet Union’s place in the UN after its collapse 31 years ago, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Monday.
The government in Kyiv has called for Russia’s removal from the UN throughout the conflict caused by the invasion of Ukraine by Moscow’s forces.
“The Russian Federation took over the seat of a permanent member of the UN Security Council bypassing the procedures defined by the UN Charter,” the foreign ministry said.
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“We believe that, guided by the principle of equality of UN members, the Russian Federation should follow the same international legal path for admission to membership in the organisation as other countries did.”