Ukraine calls for tougher energy sanctions on Russia at UNSC
Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Andrii Melnyk called on the United States and European partners to intensify sanctions pressure on Russia, particularly in the energy sector, and to support the adoption of a new United Nations Security Council resolution on a ceasefire.
According to an Ukrinform correspondent in New York, Melnyk made the statement during a Security Council meeting on Monday.
The diplomat urged American partners “not to weaken but to strengthen the sanctions regime on Russia’s energy exports.”
He noted that recent exemptions for Russian oil sales could bring Russia around $10 billion in additional revenue in April alone.
“Does anyone believe that these windfall profits would fund schools, hospitals, or maybe sanitation? They will finance Russia’s war of annihilation against,” he said, adding that the funds would be “enough to produce up to half a million deadly Shahed drones.”
Melnyk called on the United States to rely “more on the stick than the carrot” in its policy toward Russia, stressing the need to compel peace.
He also urged European allies to dismantle Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which is used to circumvent sanctions.
“This loophole must finally be closed forever,” he emphasized.
At the same time, Melnyk called on the countries of the Global South to join the sanctions regime against Russian energy exports.
He called upon the European allies “to make another historic step and take a political decision to raise the military assistance to Ukraine to the level of 1% of GDP.”
According to the diplomat, this would send “a powerful signal to Moscow that Mr. Putin has already lost this war.”
Melnyk stressed that the negotiation process has effectively been frozen by Russia for nearly two months, and that the Security Council must move to decisive action. In particular, European members of the Council should show leadership and prepare a relevant draft resolution.
He said that if Russia were serious about its intentions, it would not block a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and a prisoner exchange on an “all-for-all” basis.
“This new resolution should not be yet another political statement without consequences. It must become a firm instrument of enforcement designed to compel a genuine cessasion of hostilities,” he emphasized.
Melnyk added that the document should be backed by “credible measures of pressure, including targeted sanctions.”
“Let us not only debate, as we do today and every month, but fully use the competence of this body and finally act,” he said.
The diplomat stressed that “Russia has no chance to win this war.” “There is nothing that can save Mr. Putin – not even high oil prices,” he added.
Addressing Russia’s UN representative Vasily Nebenzya and Russia more broadly, he switched to Russian: “Pozdno, Vasya, pit’ Borjomi,” he said, adding in English: “It’s too late to drink Borjomi mineral water once the kidneys have failed.”
As previously reported, the United Nations Security Council convened on Monday to discuss the latest Russian shelling of Ukrainian cities.
Photo provided by Andrii Melnyk