Ukraine urges UN to “red card” Russia and end its Security Council privilege

He made the remarks on Wednesday at high-level open debate “Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-centered International System".

“It is time for the UN member states to finally show Russia a red card and deprive it from this unearned privilege,” Melnyk said.

He stressed that Ukraine was among the founding members of the United Nations, and that the Ukrainian people paid for the victory over Nazism in World War II with “millions of lives”.

“Therefore, for us, Ukrainians, the principles enshrined in the UN Charter are not abstract concepts written on paper. They are part of a legacy paid for with millions of lives,” the Permanent Representative said.

According to him, Russia, while declaring its adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, constantly violates them by waging war against Ukraine.

“Every single day and every single night, Russia rides roughshod over the very Charter it falsely claims to defend,” Melnyk said.

He stated that Russia does so “with the bloody boots of its soldiers on Ukrainian soil,” through airstrikes on Ukrainian cities, hospitals and schools, the abduction of Ukrainian children, as well as torture and sexual violence.

“The level of hypocrisy and cynicism of Russia we are witnessing today has reached truly staggering proportions,” he stressed.

The diplomat also pointed to Moscow’s claims of so-called “legitimate security interests,” which it uses to justify its aggression against Ukraine.

“Could anyone point me to a single provision of the UN Charter where this deeply flawed notion appears?” he asked Security Council members.

According to Melnyk, Russia has for years been trying to rewrite borders by force, “like in the Medieval ages.” He said it is frantically constructing a parallel reality aimed at replacing and distorting the principles of the UN Charter.

“In that distorted parallel reality that Mr. Putin seeks to create aggression is rebranded as ‘self-defence’, occupation as ‘liberation’, and grave violations of international law as ‘acts of justice’,” he said.

He stressed that accepting the idea that a powerful state can violate the territorial integrity of its neighbor in the name of its own “security interests” would mean dismantling the international order.

“We are no longer defending the Charter. We are dismantling it. Step by step, principle by principle, brick by brick,” Melnyk warned.

He also accused Russia of abusing its veto power and holding the Security Council “hostage.”

“No one shall be allowed to misuse its privileged status as a license to act with impunity,” he emphasized.

As reported by Ukrinform, the UN Security Council is set to meet on Thursday at 22:00 Kyiv time to discuss the escalation of Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine.