UNSC members preoccupied with national agendas: Russia UN envoy
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The Russian Permanent Representative to the UN says the UN Security Council members failed to show "strategic wisdom".
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Russia's UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzia raises his hand as he votes against a US resolution regarding the recent developments in Gaza, on October 25, 2023. (AP)
Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzia said on Wednesday that Russia supported the draft resolution on the Middle East that many Arab countries submitted to the UN General Assembly.
"Now, the UN General Assembly has the task of preventing further escalation in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Russia supports the draft resolution initiated by Jordan on behalf of the Arab group. Russia is among its co-authors. We are calling on all member states to support this document," he said.
Nebenzia expressed Russia's regret that despite Moscow's best efforts, the UN Security Council has not lived up to expectations.
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"We regret that the Security Council has failed take another opportunity to respond to the unprecedented crisis in the Middle East <…>. It has fallen short of expectations. We did our best to help it," he said.
Furthermore, he noted that the UN Security Council members were preoccupied with their national agendas and did not succeed in being "bold enough to demonstrate strategic wisdom and support the Russia-initiated draft."
Following the UN Security Council's inability to approve resolutions on the Palestinian-Israeli struggle authored by Russia or Brazil, Moscow submitted a different proposal. Russian revisions to the Brazilian version were among the parts from the US and Brazilian drafts that were included in the 15-provision version. It specifically demanded the immediate end of hostilities, the creation of humanitarian pathways, and the release of all hostages.
Read: Arab nations draft UN resolution on war on Gaza
Earlier, the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday turned down a resolution drafted by the United States concerning the war on Gaza.
The rejection came with the exercise of veto power by two permanent members of the Security Council, namely Russia and China.
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia was critical of the resolution, describing it as "political" and expressing concerns about the approach taken in its drafting.
Nebenzia pointed out that the US delegation had refused other Security Council members the opportunity to consult with their respective capitals and had imposed unrealistic and urgent deadlines.
"The American delegation directly refused other security council members the opportunity of consulting with capitals, establishing unrealistic urgent deadlines," Nebenzia told the Security Council members ahead of the vote.
He further labeled the draft resolution as a "license" for "Israel" to proceed with a ground invasion in Gaza.
Two days ago, Nebenzia stated that Russia had drafted an alternative resolution following the US veto of a resolution drafted by Brazil concerning the war on Gaza.
The White House stated on Tuesday that a ceasefire in Gaza "would only benefit Hamas."
"A ceasefire right now really only benefits Hamas," National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby told journalists.
On October 18, the US exercised its veto power to block a Brazil-drafted UN Security Council resolution that urged "Israel" to revoke its evacuation order for Gazans.
The draft resolution that Russia had proposed was not approved by the UN Security Council on October 25. Four of the fifteen members of the Security Council backed the document. Both Russia and the UK abstained from voting.
A draft resolution drafted by Arab nations for the UN General Assembly was started by Jordan. At the ninth emergency special session on Palestine, the document will be discussed, and Russia was among the nations asking for the session to resume.
The 23-point plan demands a swift end to hostilities, unhindered aid supplies to the Gaza Strip, and the immediate lifting of "Israel's" directive ordering the evacuation of Gaza Strip residents to areas south of the enclave.
Eighty-eight nations wish to speak in the special session, which is scheduled for October 26 - 27, according to UNGA Presidential Spokesperson Monica Grealy.
