In an interview with the leading Ukrainian TV channel 1+1, Zenon Kowal, Advisor to the Association of Ukrainians in Belgium and Special Advisor to the Embassy of Ukraine in Belgium (1992-1995), summarized the half-month of Russia’s presidency of the UN Security Council.
According to Mr. Kowal, the Russians first used their presidency of the UN Security Council on April 5, when they convened in the Arria formula meeting, which they used to spread disinformation about Ukrainian children they had abducted. The Arria formula meetings take their source from the name of Diego Arria, a Venezuelan diplomat, and provide for dialogue between all Security Council members and those not involved in the UN. At the same time, all 49 UN countries’ representatives reacted with a statement of outrage at lies being spread in the UN, and the webcast of the meeting with the participation of the Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Lvova-Belova, was blocked.
The upcoming meetings announced by the Russians will be held formally and focus on arms sales and the Middle East.
In his conversation with journalists, Zenon Kowal also discussed whether the United States would grant Lavrov a visa and under what conditions Russia could be expelled from the UN.
“We can’t get rid of them just like that, but knowing that Russia will be heading the Security Council, we must prepare appropriate steps to expose Russia’s game. Russia will push its narratives, but other countries that disagree have the opportunity to show how Russia thinks one thing, writes another, and reveals Russia’s two-faced or three-faced role,” Mr. Kowal said.
Watch the interview in Ukrainian here:
