Zelensky: "Russia Must Be Punished as a Terrorist State... Has No Right to Remain in the UN"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, criticized Russia at a United Nations Security Council meeting, calling for it to be punished as a terrorist state and expelled from the UN.

According to CNN on the 28th (local time), President Zelensky participated via video conference in the Security Council meeting held at the UN and strongly condemned Russia's recent missile attacks, including the airstrike on a Ukrainian shopping mall. He stated, "There is an urgent need to legally define Russia as a terrorist state at the UN level and punish it," adding, "A country that violates the fundamental principles of the UN still remains in the UN and enjoys the privileges of a permanent seat on the Security Council."

President Zelensky said, "Russia still occupies a permanent seat only because of the shortsighted views of politicians from the late Cold War era," and urged, "The UN General Assembly should strip this terrorist state of its authority. Russia has no right to remain on the UN Security Council." He further emphasized, "Article 6 of Chapter 2 of the UN Charter states that a member violating the principles of the UN Charter can be expelled from the organization by the Security Council General Assembly."

This statement is seen as consistent with the United States' position, which has called for Russia's expulsion from the Security Council since the early stages of the war. In February, the US House of Representatives bipartisanly pushed a resolution to expel Russia from the UN Security Council. The resolution was led by Republican Representative Claudia Tenney of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and coordinated with Democratic lawmakers as a means to pressure Russia.

However, according to the UN Charter, expelling Russia from the UN Security Council requires the consent of all permanent members. Currently, the five permanent members are the United States, China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom, and if even one of these countries opposes, Russia cannot be expelled.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.