German MP calls for stripping Russia of veto right in UNSC

Russia can no longer be entrusted with protecting international order as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. President Putin must be deprived of his right of veto in the said body.

That’s according to German lawmaker Jürgen Hardt, a spokesman for the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group on International Policy, Ukrinform reports citing Guildhall.

“Russia’s behavior both in Eastern Europe and in international fora has clearly shown the dire need for reform in the UN. Russia obviously must not be entrusted safeguarding international law as a permanent member of the UN Security Council,” the deputy said.

“New ways will have to be found to include more countries that represent more people in the UN’s highest decision-making body,” said Jürgen Hardt.

He added that “President Putin should no longer be allowed to have a veto in the UNSC and therefore to paralyze the most important peace-making body of our world.”

As reported earlier, Oleksandr Danylyuk, head of the Ukraine-based Center for Defense Reforms, coordinator of the interdepartmental platform for countering hybrid threats, operating within the framework of Ukraine-NATO cooperation, said the very threat of Russia employing nuclear weapons against Ukraine is a violation of the Budapest Memorandum, which is part of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and thereby destroys the system of international nuclear security.

Based on the fact that the Budapest Memorandum provides for assistance by the UN Security Council, including over any nuclear threat, the Russian Federation must be expelled from the body, while UN forces should be sent to Ukraine to coerce Russia to peace.