Russia blocks Germany's bid for UN security council seat
For years, Germany has been working on elevating its status within the United Nations. However, now Russia has sent a clear signal. It is not in Berlin's favour.
Moscow has categorically rejected Germany's request for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
"If the UN Security Council were to be reformed, there would be countries that would never be permanent members, even if they aspired to be," said Russia's representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, on Russian state television.
Tensions between Berlin and Moscow
Discussions about Security Council reform have been ongoing at the UN for years. India and African countries, in particular, hope for a permanent seat in this body. But the German government has also been striving for this for a long time.
While Russia was considered a potential supporter of such an arrangement for some time, tensions between Moscow and the West have dramatically increased in recent years, especially after the outbreak of the war against Ukraine ordered by Vladimir Putin. Consequently, the chances for this have been deemed slim.
It should be emphasised that each of the five permanent members—China, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the USA—can use a veto to block the expansion.