New Delhi: The United States and other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) are all accused of misusing 'veto power' whenever the political interests of their and allies are at stake. But, now as Russia once again used the special power granted only to the UNSC permanent members, efforts are reportedly on to strip it of its council vote.
According to a report by Russia Today, the US State Department may try to find a way to boot Russia from its permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC), shaking up the international body's balance of power amid outrage over the war in Ukraine.
Washington is "investigating the prospects" of expelling Russia as one of the five permanent Security Council members, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told American lawmakers on Wednesday.
No decision has been made on whether to try to achieve such an outcome, which would likely require changes to the UN's charter.
Sherman's comments came after the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn Russia for last week's invasion of Ukraine and demand that Moscow withdraw its forces from the country immediately.
The rebuke was issued through a non-binding resolution after a failed vote last Friday by the UN Security Council, where Russia used its veto power as a permanent member to block the resolution, the report said.
The UN Security Council has a total of 15 member - 5 permanent and 10 temporary. The five permanent members are the UK, US, France, Russia, and China. The10 temporary members on the other hand are elected for a tenure of 2 years.
Veto power has been used 287 times till 2019. The first Veto was used by USSR regarding a resolution concerning the withdrawal of troops from Lebanon and Syria.
The US exercised its first veto on March 17, 1970. Since then it has cast 83 vetoes, mostly against UN’s resolutions on Israel.
Similarly, United Kingdom cast its first veto on October 30, 1956, France on June 1946, and for China on December 13, 1955.
Talk of stripping Russia of its status at the UN has escalated since the Ukraine invasion began.
Some US lawmakers have called for removing Russia from the Security Council, RT reported.
Ukraine's government has repeatedly urged the UN to reconsider Russia's status on the Security Council.
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