UNITED NATIONS (AP) — It was a second the diplomatic world was waiting for — however did not get.
In the long run, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov averted staring one another down Wednesday throughout the U.N. Safety Council’s well-known horseshoe-shaped desk. Zelenskyy left earlier than Lavrov arrived.
The near-miss was considerably to be anticipated. But the second nonetheless spoke to the U.N.’s position as a venue the place warring nations can unleash their ire by means of phrases as a substitute of weapons. But the choreography additionally underscored the world physique’s status as a spot the place adversaries typically actually discuss previous one another.
Zelenskyy denounced Russia as “a terrorist state” whereas Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia sat dealing with him close to the opposite finish of the desk’s arc. As Zelenskyy launched into his remarks, the Russian briefly checked out his cellphone, then tucked the gadget away.
Zelenskyy left earlier than Lavrov’s arrival, which got here as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was accusing Russia of getting “shredded” key provisions of the U.N. Constitution.
Lavrov, in flip, reiterated his nation’s claims that Kyiv has oppressed Russian audio system in jap areas, violating the U.N. constitution and getting a go on it from the U.S. and different western international locations. Throughout the desk was Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya, his eyes on his cellphone throughout at the least components of Lavrov’s remarks. (Blinken, for his half, took handwritten notes.)
If there was no finger-pointing face-off, the environment was decidedly prickly.
Earlier than Zelenskyy’s arrival, Nebenzia objected to a talking order that put the Ukrainian president earlier than the council’s members, together with Russia. (Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, the assembly chair, retorted: “You cease the conflict, and President Zelenskyy won’t take the ground.”)
Zelenskyy had been in the identical room, however hardly eye to eye, with a Russian diplomat in the course of the Ukrainian chief’s speech Tuesday within the huge corridor of the U.N. Normal Meeting, which this week is holding its annual assembly of top-level leaders. (Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky later stated, wryly, that he’d been specializing in his cellphone and “did not discover” Zelenskyy’s deal with.) Earlier than that, Zelenskyy final encountered a Russian official at a 2019 assembly with President Vladimir Putin.
There’s a protracted historical past of delegates strolling out on rival nations’ speeches within the council and different U.N. our bodies, and it is commonplace for audio system to duck out and in of Safety Council conferences for causes so simple as scheduling. The group’s member international locations should have a presence throughout conferences however can fill their seats with any accredited diplomat.
Ukraine is not a member however was invited to talk. Forward of the assembly, Zelenskyy prompt that U.N. members wanted to ask themselves why Russia nonetheless has a spot on a council meant to take care of worldwide peace and safety.
There have been verbal fireworks — by diplomatic requirements, at the least — in the course of the council’s scores of conferences on the conflict. And even the seating chart was a sticking level final 12 months when Lavrov and Ukrainian Overseas Minister Dmytro Kuleba each attended a council assembly that, like Wednesday’s, occurred alongside the Normal Meeting’s large annual gathering.
The 2 overseas ministers had no private interplay at that 2022 session, which Lavrov attended solely briefly, to present his speech. However beforehand, a placard marking Ukraine’s seat was moved after Kuleba apparently objected to its placement subsequent to Russia’s spot.
This time, the 2 international locations’ seats have been separated from the beginning.
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Related Press journalists Mary Altaffer on the United Nations and Emma Burrows in London contributed.