KYIV (Reuters) – Russia, whose chief is accused of conflict crimes, assumed cost of the United Nations Safety Council on Saturday inflicting fury in Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy calling it an absurd and harmful transfer.

The final time Russia held the rotating presidency of the physique chargeable for sustaining peace and combating acts of worldwide aggression was in February 2022 when Moscow troops launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“Sadly, we … have some clearly absurd and harmful information,” Zelenskiy mentioned in his every day video deal with, including that Russian shelling had killed a five-month-old boy on Friday.

“And on the identical time Russia is chairing the U.N. Safety Council. It is arduous to think about something that proves extra the entire chapter of such establishments,” he mentioned.

The presidency rotates alphabetically every month among the many 15 members. Though it’s largely procedural, the Kremlin and different Russian officers vowed to “train all its rights” within the function.

America on Thursday urged Russia to “conduct itself professionally” when it assumes the function, saying there was no means to dam Moscow from the publish.

In March, the Worldwide Felony Court docket (ICC) – a global justice physique not related to the UN – issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin and his commissioner for kids rights, accusing them of the conflict crime of illegally deporting tons of of youngsters from Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Overseas Minister Dmytro Kuleba known as Russia’s presidency of the Safety Council a “slap within the face to the worldwide neighborhood.” Zelenskiy mentioned it was time for a basic overhaul of worldwide establishments, together with the Safety Council.

“Reform is clearly needed to forestall a terrorist state – and some other state that wishes to be a terrorist – from destroying the peace,” he mentioned.

Some 400 days into the conflict, which has killed 1000’s, destroyed Ukrainian cities and set tens of millions of civilians to flight, Russia continues to take over elements of the nation, urgent on with its assault within the east.

Earlier, Zelenskiy advisor Andriy Yermak additionally hit out at Iran, which Kyiv and its allies accuse of supplying Russia with arms. Tehran denies it’s giving weapons to Russia.

“It is extremely telling that on the vacation of 1 terror state – Iran – one other terror state – Russia – begins to preside over the U.N. Safety Council,” Yermak wrote on Twitter, referring to Iran’s Islamic Republic Day vacation.