Germany did not support Ukraine’s proposal to deprive Russia of its veto power in the United Nations Security Council

Germany does not support Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal to strip Russia of its veto power in the United Nations Security Council.

This statement was made by the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, during an interview on ARD television.

“We do not support this, and I have consistently conveyed this to our Ukrainian negotiating partners,” she said. Baerbock also added, “It’s important to say in Germany that we do not endorse everything proposed by the Ukrainian government.”

On Wednesday, speaking at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Zelensky reiterated his idea of temporarily suspending the participation of countries that, in the view of the Ukrainian side, engage in aggression in violation of the UN Charter. Additionally, he presented his vision for reforming the global organization and proposed giving the UN General Assembly the authority to override vetoes by permanent members of the Security Council.

At the beginning of the meeting, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, stated that the Security Council’s work was being disrupted in favor of one delegation when Zelensky’s speech was placed before the speeches of the leaders of council member countries. He characterized the session with the participation of the Ukrainian leader as a spectacle.

The United Nations Security Council consists of 15 countries, with 5 (Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, and France) serving as permanent members and 10 as non-permanent members, elected to two-year terms. Previously, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, stated that the majority of UN member states recognize the need for Security Council reform.