Russia envoy deems UN veto as not ‘license to kill civilians’

(MENAFN) Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, criticized the United States for misusing its veto power at the United Nations, particularly in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Nebenzia argued that the U.S. has consistently supported Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which he claimed has resulted in the killing of Palestinian civilians.

The UN General Assembly recently passed a resolution calling for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, with 158 votes in favor. This resolution came after the U.S. vetoed a similar motion in the Security Council. Nebenzia stated that the veto power was never meant to protect the actions of military forces but to ensure balanced decisions by the Security Council. He accused the U.S. of using its veto to enable Israeli actions in Gaza.

In his speech, Nebenzia argued that the U.S. had sided with "brutal force" and described its actions as prioritizing narrow geopolitical interests over international law. Since the conflict escalated on October 7, 2023, nearly 45,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local sources, with Israel continuing its military operation until all hostages are released and the threat from Hamas is eliminated.

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