Russia rejects UN veto reform as tensions rise with Europe
Russia says it will never back limits on its UN Security Council veto, while the US has reportedly urged NATO allies, including the Baltic states, to tone down public rhetoric about Moscow.
Russia has firmly rejected any proposals aimed at limiting or controlling the veto power held by permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Kirill Logvinov, director of the Department of International Organizations at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with the TASS news agency that Moscow would never support attempts to restrict this authority, according to Onlinekhabar. Logvinov described the veto not as a privilege but as a special responsibility that pushes states to seek lasting and fair compromise.
The remarks come amid wider friction between Russia and Europe. According to DC Nepal, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia does not want a war with Europe but is ready to fight one if it comes to that, and warned that a direct war between Russia and European countries would leave no winner and have destructive consequences. DC Nepal also cited reports from Latvia's Constitution Protection Bureau and European military officials suggesting that, after the war in Ukraine, Russia could reorganise its forces and challenge European borders between 2030 and 2035. The outlet said the European Union and NATO have begun raising military spending under their Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030 with this in mind.
Meanwhile, the United States has reportedly urged several NATO allies, including Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, to show restraint when speaking publicly about the Russian threat. Reuters, as cited by DC Nepal and Baahrakhari, reported that Pentagon officials, among them policy chief Elbridge Colby, passed the message in bilateral meetings and advised European leaders to avoid provocative statements. It is not clear which governments beyond the Baltic states were approached. The reports noted that the advice came while the Trump administration was making diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, with proposals to ease sanctions on Russia under consideration.
Officials within NATO disagree over how to speak publicly about the Russian threat. Some argue that constant warnings give Moscow a chance to spread fear, while others say European citizens need to be told about security challenges so they understand why spending on defence and preparedness matters. Concern has also grown over suspected sabotage in Europe: DC Nepal noted that Germany held Russia responsible for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport in September, an accusation Moscow has rejected.
On the UN Security Council, Logvinov blamed the decline in the Council's effectiveness not on the use of the veto but on the policies of a Western minority of countries, which he accused of using the UN to advance their political agenda. Asked about the role of the UN's next Secretary-General in any review of Council reform and the veto, he said the matter falls outside the Secretary-General's mandate and rests entirely with member states. India, Brazil, Japan, Germany and African countries have long called for a review or expansion of permanent membership and veto power, but Russia, one of the five permanent members, remains firmly opposed to any curbs on its veto.