WHY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION HAS NO VETO POWER AT THE UNITED NATIONS
The RF is not a member of the UN
Askold Lozynskyj
China (Republic of China) was charter member of the United Nations from 1945. It was not the People's Republic of China which currently holds a permanent seat in the Security Council of the United Nations. In fact the Korean war of the early 1950's pitted a coalition of the United Nations against Communist North Korea, Communist China and the USSR..
In the struggle between Communist and Nationalist China, the Communists ultimately prevailed in the 1950's, but its was not until much later that the Peoples Republic of China became a UN member and succeeded to China's permanent seat at the UN Security council This required a formal application by the Peoples Republic pursuant to the UN Charter and a two thirds vote of the UN General Assembly. This happened in 1971 largely as result of President Nixon's and Henry Kissinger's efforts, two very dubious historical figures in terms of integrity. Many opposed argued that this was a bizarre reward for Chinese communist bad behavior.
The USSR was a charter member of the UN. On December 8, 1991 the leaders of the three most prominent Soviet Republics, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia in Biloveznka Puscha, Belarus concluded an agreement dissolving the USSR. Two weeks later in Alma Alta, Kazakhstan eleven former Soviet Republics concluded a separate agreement dissolving the USSR. Thereupon former Soviet Permanent Representative to the UN Vorontsev acting on behalf of Russian president Boris Yeltsin delivered a letter to the UN Secretary General informing him of the dissolution and requesting accession of the Russian Federation to the USSR seat as permanent member of the UN Security Council. Allegedly the UN Secretary General disseminated this letter among the UN member states with no further action taken.
Since then the Russian Federation has acted as if its request had been approved and intimating both actual UN membership and a permanent seat t the U SC participating both as a member of the UN at various fora and as a successor to the USSR at the UN SC. However no formal application for UN membership by the RF was submitted ever. Nor has any vote been taken.
The UN has a process for UN membership. The State submits an application to the Secretary-General and a letter formally stating that it accepts the obligations under the Charter. The Security Council considers the application. Any recommendation for admission must receive the affirmative votes of 9 of the 15 members of the Council, provided that none of its permanent members have voted against the application. If the Council recommends admission, the recommendation is presented to the General Assembly for consideration. A two-thirds majority vote is necessary in the Assembly for admission of a new State.
In its Preamble, the Charter lays out its purposes of practicing tolerance and living together in peace, uniting strength to maintain international peace and security, ensuring that armed force will not be used except in the common interest.
Given Russia's offensive behavior in only thirty years culminating in the current aggression which includes indisputable evidence of war crimes and probably more such as crimes against humanity and attempted genocide, Russia's chances for immediate admission are negligible. The recent UN GA vote allowing President Zelensky to address the UN GA opening session virtually rather than in person of 101 in favor, only 7 opposed and 19 abstentions was symbolic of the international community's opprobrium.
Thus upon motion by a UN SC permanent member similarly to the Korean situation the UN should send a coalition of its forces to Ukraine to assist the Ukrainians in the defense of their national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In the long term Russia should be admitted as a UN member (but, certainly not a permanent member of the UN SC) for the sake of the UN's legitimacy as a venue for peaceful dialogue and conflict settlement, but only after Russia is demilitarized similarly to Nazi Germany in the late 1940's and accession to the Non Proliferation Treaty as non-nuclear state. This is a road map with viable variations certainly a possibility. It is a tall order and requires political will and integrity, certainly not a traditional characteristic of international approaches. This approach is one for the future viability of the UN as a peacekeeping mechanism on the international stage. It should also serve to settle the current conflict in Ukraine.
The Russians need to realize that their methods of conducting international relations have no place in today's world. Russia may renege on all opportunities and become a pariah, with continuing sanctions and designation as a state sponsoring terrorism. That, however, may be too much to expect from the traditionally servile and imperialistically predisposed Russian populace.
The process should begin immediately. Minister Lavrov, a war criminal himself, should never have been permitted to enter the United States during the recent UN events. Immediately, the United States as a permanent UN SC member should move to preclude Russia all access to the UN due to the fact that it is not a member. In view of the bogus referendum in Ukraine's occupied regions, sanctions should be heightened, the Western countries should recall their diplomats and oust the Russian diplomats/spies from their territories and declare the RF a state sponsor of terrorism. This is only the beginning. The end as outlined above is full Russian demilitarization and accession to NPT.
