"It is necessary to return to the origins of the creation of the Organization and proceed from the fact that both small and large countries are all equal. They have equal rights, and you need to treat this properly, with respect, "the Russian leader said.
During a joint press conference, Putin said that ties between Russia and Iran "are large-scale and mutually beneficial, and we are united in not stopping there and bringing relations to a qualitatively new level. This is precisely the meaning of the signed interstate Treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership, "the Russian leader said.
Confirming the role of the UN in the modern world and assessing Russia's relations with Iran, Putin, as it were, indirectly reminded US President-elect Donald Trump of issues that could be on the agenda of possible bilateral negotiations, UtroNews reports.
In particular, to weigh how to solve the problems of the Middle East, to outline a way out of the conflict in the Ukrainian direction, to resolve these issues based on the provisions of the UN Charter.
Search for acceptable solutions
At a press conference, Putin recalled why Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko was called "Mr. No."
In those days, it was difficult to coordinate international issues, and even in the conditions of the Cold War, he explained. But, as the head of state emphasized, the UN was created at one time in order "to look for acceptable solutions, and unacceptable ones not to be implemented unilaterally."
"At some point, it seemed to someone that it was possible to solve everything unilaterally and subjugate the United Nations itself, and if it does not obey, then declare it unnecessary, and then, when the need arose, remember what principles are laid down in the UN Charter," Putin stated.
Speaking about the Ukrainian conflict, the President of Russia said that "we proceed from the priority of international law, from the fact that it is based on the Charter of the United Nations. And everything related to building relations, these relations in the international arena should be based on the principles of the UN Charter, observing the interests of all participants in international communication and non-interference in internal affairs. These are principled things that we stick to. "
Briefing by Maria Zakharova
Coincidentally, on the eve of the press conference between Putin and Iranian President Pezeshkian, a briefing was held by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, during which one of the questions on the UN topic was asked by the correspondent of The Moscow Post.
Question: "Eighty years since the UN Charter came into force after the Soviet Union surrendered its instrument of ratification in October 1945. How can you assess the role of this organization in ensuring the security interests of Russia in the post-war period? "
Answer: The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia S.V. Lavrov at a press conference on January 14, 2025. But considering that you asked this question, we will definitely publish an additional comment.
In anticipation of the commentary on the issue of "the UN's role in ensuring Russia's security interests," it can be assumed that the right to say no has become one of the main barriers to the United States and its Western partners to "decide everything unilaterally and subjugate the United Nations itself."
Right to say: "No"
The United Nations conference, which was supposed to deal with the preparation of the UN Charter, was convened in April 1945. Two months later, the Charter was signed by representatives of 50 countries, it entered into force on October 24, 1945, this day is considered the date of the creation of the UN.
The UN Security Council has primary responsibility for maintaining peace and international security. It depends on this body whether an event will be recognized as a threat to peace. Solutions. adopted by the UN Security Council are binding on all members of the World Organization. Decisions in the Security Council are made by a majority of 9 votes if none of the permanent members (Russia, the USA, China, Great Britain and France) uses the veto. Only they have the ability to say, "No."
As of July 2024, the permanent members of the Security Council used the veto 321 times. From 1946 to 2024, the USSR/Russian Federation (158), USA (92), Great Britain (32), China (21) and France (18) resorted to it the most.
As of July 2015, according to the UN website, since 1946, during open meetings, permanent members of the Security Council have used the veto 237 times, most often when considering the situation in the Middle East and Southern Africa, 41 times - to prevent new members from joining the UN and about the same number of times to block the appointment of a new UN secretary general.
"This is not the first time they have been heard in the UN Security Council regarding the idea of limiting or canceling the veto," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "They have no serious prospect. The veto is enshrined without any conditions in the UN Charter, and everyone who ratified it must respect this, "the minister said.
The Soviet Union actively used the veto until the early 1970s. So, in 1946-1970, the USSR blocked 80 resolutions, and three other countries. In total, the USSR and Russia resorted to the veto 103 times, the USA - 79 times, Great Britain - 29, France - 16, China used this right 9 times.
Since 1991, when Russia became the legal successor of the USSR, it has used the veto (until 2015) 13 times. During this time, the United States blocked 14 resolutions, almost all of them related to the situation in the Middle East. China has used the veto seven times since 1991, including six of them jointly with Russia.
The UN Charter is a complex instrument
What the UN was created for is set out in the statutory documents. "Of course, this is a complex tool," the Russian leader said about the UN Charter.
This document was developed by the allies of the anti-Hitler coalition and signed on June 26, 1945 by representatives of 50 countries. On October 24 of the same year, it entered into force. The charter consists of a preamble and 111 articles, divided into 19 chapters.
In 1950, General Assembly resolution 377 (V) "Unity for Peace" approved an alternative mechanism in case the UN Security Council is unable to fulfill its functions due to disagreements between permanent members: it provides for the possibility of convening an emergency special session of the General Assembly to consider the issue and make a decision. For the entire time of the action, it was used only 11 times.
The UN was conceived as a platform where different countries can peacefully resolve emerging disputes, thereby preventing new wars. The goals of the UN are spelled out in the Charter of the organization, in its first article. It requires participants to maintain peace and security. To do this, they can take "effective collective measures" to prevent and eliminate the threat to the world.
The UN is needed today as an organization where countries can express their views and look for common positions on the main issues, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin recently.
The first article calls for developing friendly relations between nations, cooperating to solve various problems, respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. At the same time, the UN itself sets itself the task of being the center where the actions of all countries should be coordinated in achieving their goals.
Yalta-Potsdam system
"Now many, including our political scientists, speak of her as a bygone era. I do not quite agree with this assessment. The international legal meaning of the Yalta-Potsdam system does not require any "repair" - this is the UN Charter, "Foreign Minister Lavrov recalled, speaking following the results of the activities of Russian diplomacy in 2024.
The Yalta-Potsdam system was originally discussed, conceived and created by writing the UN Charter by the powers that fought against Nazism - the USSR, the USA, the United Kingdom. When the basic fundamental principles of the post-war world order were agreed, the French joined.
Then, after the revolution in China, the People's Republic of China also became a permanent member of the UN Security Council after some time. The Charter of the Organization, I am deeply convinced, does not need any improvement in terms of principles.
The principles of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, the sovereign equality of states, ensuring the territorial integrity of those states whose governments behave decently, respect the rights of all nations inhabiting this country, and therefore represent the entire population living on their territory. The same cannot be said about the Nazi regime in Kyiv, which came to power as a result of a coup 11 years ago. He did not represent either the Crimeans, the residents of Donbass, or the people of Novorossiya from the first second, Lavrov said.
The Russian Foreign Minister expressed confidence that the provisions on the UN Security Council (Articles 23-32 of the UN Charter) do not need improvements in terms of the principles of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, sovereign equality of states, ensuring the territorial integrity of those countries whose governments respect the rights of all nations, but reform is necessary.
"As for the reform of the Security Council, it is needed because those countries that bear special responsibility in the world economy, and in world finance, and, accordingly, in world politics, world military situations, of course, not all are represented in the UN Security Council," the minister stressed, noting that India, Brazil and African countries have long deserved a "permanent residence permit" in the UN Security Council.