Western diplomats slam Russia's Sergey Lavrov during UN meeting


Western diplomats on Monday criticized Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a face-to-face session hosted at the United Nations Security Council "for his country's unprovoked assault on Ukraine," CNN reports.
Lavrov was hosting the meeting, titled "Maintenance of international peace and security," because Russia is currently holding the rotating presidency of the Security Council. "The last time Russia presided over the Security Council was February 2022, when it launched its invasion of Ukraine," CNN writes.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and U.N. ambassadors for the United States, United Kingdom, and Switzerland slammed Russia's actions in its ongoing crusade against Ukraine. America's Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Britain's Barbara Woodward, and Switzerland's Pascale Baeriswyl used their speeches to condemn Russia's attack and directly criticize Lavrov.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Our hypocritical convener today, Russia, invaded its neighbor, Ukraine, and struck at the heart of the U.N. Charter. This illegal, unprovoked, and unnecessary war runs directly counter to our most shared principles — that a war of aggression and territorial conquest is never, ever acceptable," Thomas-Greenfield said.
In his opening remarks, Lavrov responded to the criticism "by defending his country's military action and accusing the U.S. and its allies of undercutting global diplomacy, the foundation of the United Nations, which was created to prevent a third world war," The Associated Press summarizes.
He also condemned the "United States and its allies" for "abandoning diplomacy and demanding clarification of relations on the battlefield."
Representatives from about 50 countries spoke, taking care to highlight the rising confrontation among U.N. member nations. The countries stressed "the importance of preserving multilateralism," including by "reforming the Security Council to reflect the 21st century world instead of the post-World War II power structure," AP adds.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
-
Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture From the Torlonia Collection
Feature The private collection is being revealed to the public for the first time in decades
By The Week US
-
13 potential 2028 presidential candidates for both major parties
In Depth A rare open primary for both parties has a large number of people considering a run for president
By David Faris
-
How might Trump's tariffs affect the luxury goods market?
Today's Big Question Luxury clothes, cars and watches could be in the crosshairs
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Celine Dion 'civil war' in New Zealand
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Woman lives with needle in brain for 80 years
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Russia's Crimea fleet shipyard on fire after Ukrainian missile strike
Photos and videos showed huge explosions and raging fires at the Sevastopol Shipyard
By Peter Weber
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia