UNIITED NATIONS, July 17. /TASS/. Russia expressed disagreement with the United Kingdom’s unilateral decision to invite eight EU and NATO countries to the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky said on Monday.
"Before you approve the agenda I want to express principled disagreement with the presidency’s approach to the invitation of delegations to today’s meeting under rule 37. In violation of regular practices, the British presidency made a unilateral decision to give a possibility to speak to eight member countries of the European Union and NATO and their closest allies, as well as to a representatives of the European Union," he said. "As generally practiced, not more than three countries are to take part in the meeting on Ukraine under rule 37."
According to Polyansky, the participation of representatives from EU and NATO countries will bring "no added value" to the discussion, which will only "be extended into debates." "Such an approach reveals the presidency’s dishonesty and can bee interpreted as an attempt to exert pressure on the Council members. There is no reasonable arguments to explain why the Security Council meeting has been turned into a NATO get-together party," he added.