US Congress Passes Resolution Suspending Russia's Membership In UN Security Council

• 15.12.2022, 10:06

The Russian Federation committed gross violations of the UN Charter.

Two US lawmakers heading up an independent U.S. government human rights watchdog have introduced a resolution that calls on President Joe Biden to suspend Russia’s membership in the United Nations Security Council.

Foreign Policy reported.

The bipartisan Helsinki Commission, which called on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to protest Russia’s standing as a permanent Security Council member in October, wants Congress to argue that Russia’s war has violated the purposes and principles of the United Nations and asks the US government to take steps to limit Russia’s privileges at the UN.

In the congressional resolution shared with the news publisher, Democrat Steve Cohen and Republican Joe Wilson said that Russia had committed “flagrant violations” of the UN Charter that call into question its right to hold a Security Council seat. They are talking about the illegal annexation vote in four Ukrainian regions, the perpetration of atrocities in Ukrainian cities such as Bucha, nuclear blackmailing, and creating risks to the world’s food supply.

Ukraine has also advocated for Russia to be removed from the council, though experts remain skeptical that such efforts will work. The U.N.’s governing charter doesn’t contain any provisions for removing a permanent member of the Security Council. While countries can be removed from the United Nations altogether, doing so would require a two-thirds majority vote in the General Assembly, including the unanimous consent of the council itself.

Russia has the right to block such a proposal and, as practice shows, has repeatedly used it.

Finally, the news publisher writes, there is another option, which is supported by some lawyers. The Congress intends to call into question Russia's status as heir to the Soviet Union's membership in the Security Council.