UNITED NATIONS, September 27. /TASS/. Only in-person format of participation in meetings of the UN Security Council should be allowed to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said on Tuesday.
"Again, we would like to put on record our position regarding another attempt of our Western colleagues to "push through" the online participation of president Zelensky of Ukraine in this meeting," the Russian diplomat said. "We repeatedly stressed that we are not opposed to the participation of President Zelensky or his representative per se. But they must be physically present in this room. Apart from the fact that this is prescribed by the rules of procedure which have regulated the work of this body for more than 75 years, it is also an issue of respect to the Council. Security Council must not turn into a platform for political shows or a movie theatre."
"With such issues, any forbearance seriously damages the authority of the Council. Speaking about shows, this is what the Ukrainian delegation organized in the General Assembly during the High Level Week. I mean the fact that people were taken to the GA Hall purposefully - in order to applaud upon hearing the pre-recorded address by the Ukrainian president. This reaction was filmed on mobile devices and then disseminated via social media as a proof of alleged support of GA members," he continued. "Colleagues, please do not think no one noticed that. Many delegations expressed their perplexity when they saw those alleged supporters enter and then exit the GA Hall in groups upon completing their mission while accompanied by Western delegates."
In his words, "such clumsy and primitive PR tricks depreciate the role of the Security Council and the United Nations at large, which were designed to serve as respectful platforms for dialogue rather than political shows."
"Again, this illustrates the real attitude of Western delegations to the United Nations. You do not care for safeguarding its fundamental concepts, its authority, and the way it is perceived by the international community. In your Russophobic hysteria, you are ready to forsake it all," Russia’s UN envoy said.