"European Union not ready to be global player": Russia responds to EU's 'April Fool's day' comment

Moscow [Russia], April 2 : After European Union mocked Russia for assuming the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) rotating presidency on April 1 as befitting 'April Fool's day', Moscow reverted to the 27-member bloc in a sarcastic manner, saying that such irresponsible rhetoric only confirms that the EU is not ready to be a global player.

The Russian embassy to European Union also highlighted in a tweet, "EU has nothing to do with the UNSC"

The EU and Russia are at loggerheads over the Ukraine conflict and earlier in the day Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, had ridiculed Russia's assumption of the UNSC presidency.

He tweeted, "Russia taking over today UN Security Council presidency is fitting for April fools' day. Despite being a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia continuously violates the very essence of the UN legal framework. The EU will stand against any abuse by the Russian presidency."

The Russian embassy to the European Union responded to the tweet by saying that the European Union had nothing to do with the UNSC.

A tweet by the official account of the Permanent Mission of Russia to the EU reads, "Russia's presidency of the UN Security Council in April is a reality that the EU refuses, and publicly, to reckon with. By the way, the EU has nothing to do with the UNSC. Such irresponsible rhetoric only confirms that the EU is not ready to be a global player."

Notably, Russia's assumption of the United Nations Security Council was also condemned by Ukraine. The foreign minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba had said that Russia's tenure of the body's rotating presidency was "a slap in the face to the international community," reported Kyiv Independent.

"I urge the current UNSC members to thwart any Russian attempts to abuse its presidency," he said on Twitter, calling Russia "an outlaw on the UNSC".

Moscow will assume the UNSC presidency as part of its monthly rotation between the Security Council's 15 member states, with ties with the West at their lowest point since the Cold War over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow last chaired the council in February 2022 the same month it invaded Ukraine. The presidency of the United Nations Security Council rotates monthly between 15 member states.

Meanwhile, Moscow has said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is planning to chair a UN Security Council meeting later this month on "effective multilateralism".

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has also said that Lavrov will lead a debate on the Middle East on April 25.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the UN General Assembly that Russia had "no choice" but to invade Ukraine, UN News reported in September 2022.

"I am convinced that any sovereign, self-respecting state would do the same in our stead, which understands its responsibility to its own people," Lavrov claimed, denying Ukrainian sovereignty on an international platform.

Ukraine has called for Russia to be removed from the Security Council.

The United States has also criticised Russia's membership of the Security Council and its status as a permanent member.

"A country that flagrantly violates the UN Charter and invades its neighbour has no place on the UN Security Council," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier.

"Unfortunately Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council and no feasible international legal pathway exists to change that reality," she added, calling the presidency "a largely ceremonial position."

Russia's new foreign policy was adopted by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. The new 42-page document said that the majority of the European nations pursue an aggressive policy towards Russia aimed at creating threats to the security and sovereignty of Russia.

"Most European states pursue an aggressive policy toward Russia aimed at creating threats to the security and sovereignty of the Russian Federation, gaining unilateral economic advantages, undermining domestic political stability and eroding traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, and creating obstacles to Russia's cooperation with allies and partners," reads Russia's foreign policy document.

United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has mocked Russia over its foreign policy.

While sharing the screenshot of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweet where it announced its foreign policy on Friday, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in a tweet wrote, "April Fool's Day is TOMORROW."