Russia’s representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, has asserted that Germany and Japan will not attain permanent membership on the UN Security Council.
As discussions on Security Council reform are set to commence in January, Nebenzia expressed in a recent interview with Russia 24 TV that some proposed initiatives are “quite naive and impractical.”
He stated, “There are nations seeking a seat on the Security Council that they will never obtain; we have made this clear.”
Specifically, he mentioned, “Germany and Japan will not secure a permanent seat on the Security Council.”
Nebenzia further emphasized that “no reform can occur without the backing of the majority of member states.”
The UK has previously expressed its support for permanent seats for Germany, Japan, India, Brazil, and equitable representation for Africa.
According to Article 108 of the UN charter, any reform of the Security Council would necessitate approval from all five permanent members with veto power, along with a two-thirds majority of UN member states.
Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France constitute the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Non-permanent members are elected for a two-year term on a rotating basis. Recently, Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia were elected as new non-permanent members, joining Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia.
Last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed its support for the expansion of the Security Council to incorporate nations from the Global South.
“Our country has consistently advocated for and continues to endorse the inclusion of developing countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America in the UN Security Council,” stated Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Conversely, she noted that Western nations, which often align with Washington, are already adequately represented in the council.
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