UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 393 - MARCH 21, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to be creating the conditions for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to become a tool of Russian power projection ahead of Russia's assumption of the rotating UNSC presidency in April.

Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya stated at a press conference on March 21 that Russia intends to hold an informal meeting of the UN Security Council in early April to discuss the „real situation“ of the „Ukrainian children trafficked to Russia.“ Nebenzya claimed that Russia wants to hold the meeting before the International Criminal Court (ICC) announces arrest warrants against Putin and the Russian Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova for deporting Ukrainian children to Russia. Nebenzya's announcement, along with the vehement denials of ICC allegations by Russian officials, comes at a time when Kremlin-appointed occupation officials continue to facilitate the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia under a variety of schemes and pretexts.

In addition, during his press conference with Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 21, Putin made a series of notable statements emphasizing Russia's commitment to the UN, the UN Security Council, and the UN Charter. Taken together, Nebenzya's and Putin's statements suggest that Russia continues to leverage its position in the UN Security Council as a basis for power projection, as the UN Security Council prepares for Russia to assume the presidency in April. By setting the informational conditions for Russia's alleged engagement in the UN Security Council, Putin positions himself to continue using and exploiting Russia's veto power in the UN Security Council as a weapon in the months ahead.

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