Calls For UN Security Council Reform, President Zelensky Highlights Addition Of Permanent Members To Solutions To Overcome Veto

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted veto rights and the possibility of increasing the number of permanent members, calling for reforms to the United Nations Security Council, when he first spoke directly at the council meeting since last year's Russian invasion.

One of President Zelensky's emphasis is that the veto system, a privilege that five permanent members of the UN Security Council, can block any decisions taken for any reason.

President Zelensky said the veto system had pushed the UN into a "endmate". Critics also considered the council "no spurs" in dealing with key issues, given the dynamics among the five permanent members, the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.

"Despite who you are, the current UN system still makes you less influential, compared to veto rights owned by a handful of people and abused by one side: Russia," President Zelensky said.

"We must not wait until the aggression ends. We need to act now. Our aspirations for peace must push for reform," President Zelensky said.

It is known, Russia has exercised its veto rights to prevent the Security Council from issuing a resolution condemning the annexation of Ukrainian territory.

Furthermore, President Zelensky said the UN General Assembly should be given real power to address veto.

President Zelensky proposed a system in which two-thirds of UN General Assembly members must be able to fight the veto of a country.

"If two-thirds of the vote is collected, reflecting the wishes of countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, America and the Pacific region, in other words, the global majority who meet the requirements, veto rights must be overcome effectively and such resolutions must be addressed. The General Assembly must legally bind," he explained.

It is known that Ukraine and Western countries have succeeded in diplomatically isolating Russia at the United Nations, where the 193-member General Assembly has voted several times to condemn the invasion and demanded Moscow withdraw its troops.

Their argument: Russia violated the 1945 UN Charter.

And President Zelensky also called for the Security Council's fixed number of members to expand, to cover more countries than any other region in the world.

Interestingly, Russia's envoy to the United Nations briefly highlighted President Zelensky's speech, questioning the opportunity the council gave him.

"We want to ask on what basis do you propose to give Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the opportunity in front of members of the Security Council," said Russian envoy Vasily Nebenzya at the opening of the Security Council meeting.