New Zealand has criticized the UN’s inability to counter Russian vetoes

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday at the UN. He criticized the Security Council’s “inability” to deal with the invasion of Ukraine due to the blockade imposed by Russia with veto power.

“We need to reform the United Nations so that each country doesn’t have to impose its own sanctions,” Ardern said in a speech at the Lowy Institute in Sydney. The country starts on Monday and ends this Friday.

Moscow’s representative on the UN Council has vetoed all attempts to endorse and criticize the invasion of Ukrainian territory by Russian troops that began on February 24.

“In these circumstances, waiting for our multilateral institutions to act is not an option for New Zealand,” the president noted, justifying unilateral actions taken by his country and other countries in imposing sanctions against Russian individuals and entities linked to the invasion.

Aid to Ukraine

The maritime nation has also provided military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as well as supported Kyiv in bringing those responsible for alleged war crimes committed during the conflict to the International Court of Justice.

The New Zealand president also made a veiled criticism of China, Russia’s main ally, which has been ambiguous in its response to Moscow’s aggression.

Beijing’s military, economic and diplomatic expansion in the Indo-Pacific region has raised fears among Western powers such as the US and Australia, as well as small island nations in the region.

“In the wake of rising tensions, including in our Indo-Pacific region, diplomacy must become a more effective tool and a stronger call for de-escalation. However, we will not succeed if the parties we want to reassure are increasingly isolated and the region we live in becomes increasingly divided and polarized,” he said.

Ardern is due to meet her Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on Friday. EFE