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Zelensky says Russian UN Security Council presidency is absurd

Washington urges Moscow to 'conduct itself professionally' when it assumes the role

Published: Sat 1 Apr 2023, 10:51 PM

Updated: Sat 1 Apr 2023, 10:52 PM

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  • Reuters

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Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger visit the town of Bucha marking the first anniversary of its liberation, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, outside of Kyiv, on Friday. — Reuters

Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger visit the town of Bucha marking the first anniversary of its liberation, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, outside of Kyiv, on Friday. — Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday said it was absurd Russia had assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council, adding this showed the institution's "total bankruptcy".

On Saturday Russia took over the presidency of the UN's top security body, which rotates every month. The last time Moscow held the post was in February 2022, when its troops launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"Unfortunately, we ... have some obviously absurd and destructive news," Zelensky said in an evening video address, adding that Russian shelling had killed a five-month-old boy on Friday.

"And at the same time Russia is chairing the UN Security Council. It's hard to imagine anything that proves more the total bankruptcy of such institutions," he said.

The Kremlin said on Friday it planned to "exercise all its rights" in the role.

The United States on Thursday urged Russia to "conduct itself professionally" when it assumes the role, saying there was no means to block Moscow from the post.

Zelensky said it was time for a general overhaul of global institutions, including the Security Council.

"Reform is obviously necessary to prevent a terrorist state - and any other state that wants to be a terrorist - from destroying the peace," he said.

Earlier, Zelensky advisor Andriy Yermak also hit out at Iran, which Kyiv and its allies accuse of supplying Russia with arms. Tehran denies it is giving weapons to Russia.

"It is very telling that on the holiday of one terror state – Iran - another terror state – Russia – begins to preside over the UN Security Council," Yermak wrote on Twitter, referring to Iran's Islamic Republic Day holiday.



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