Statement 

by the delegation of Ukraine at the informal meeting on the intergovernmental negotiations on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council

“Question of the Veto”

 

(14 April 2026)

Distinguished Co-Chairs,

First and foremost, I would like to express Ukraine’s appreciation to the delegations of the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of the Netherlands for their stewardship of the ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiations on this critical issue.

Ukraine, perhaps more than any other Member State, knows what it means when the veto power is abused in the Security Council.

For more than four years, the Russian Federation — having committed the crime of aggression against Ukraine and continuing to perpetrate war crimes and crimes against humanity — has demonstrated that it does not deserve the privilege of the veto.

Moreover, Russia does not even deserve to occupy a permanent seat on the Security Council, which it acquired on highly questionable legal grounds.

For years, the Russian Federation has blatantly abused the veto to shield its war of aggression — not only against Ukraine, but also to protect terrorist regimes and rogue states around the world — thereby preventing the Council from fulfilling its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

Dear colleagues,

Ukraine considers Security Council reform to be a matter of exceptional importance and a central element of the broader reform of the United Nations.

Without a credible, representative, and accountable Security Council, the entire system of collective security is weakened.

The issue of the veto lies at the very heart of the current crisis of the Council’s effectiveness and legitimacy.

Ukraine has consistently advocated limitations on the use of the veto.

This position reflects our long-standing policy and has become particularly urgent in light of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine.

It is unacceptable that a permanent member retains the privilege of exercising the veto while being directly involved as a party to an armed conflict.

Ukraine therefore strongly supports all initiatives aimed at limiting the use of the veto.

We believe that legitimate grounds for restricting its use should include situations involving genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Such restrictions should equally apply when a permanent member state is directly involved in a conflict and cannot act impartially.

We also support broader efforts to enhance accountability, transparency, and responsibility of the Security Council before the General Assembly.

In this regard, we stress the importance of the full implementation of Article 27, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, which clearly requires a party to a dispute to abstain from voting.

Distinguished Co-Chairs,

The veto was never intended to paralyze the Council or to grant impunity for grave violations of international law.

Its systematic abuse — particularly in situations involving acts of aggression and mass atrocities — undermines trust in the United Nations and erodes the foundations of international legal order.

Reforming the veto is not merely an institutional adjustment.

It is a moral imperative.

Ukraine stands ready to work constructively with all Member States to achieve meaningful progress on this critical issue.

I thank you.