Russia will use UN Security Council presidency as power projection base — ISW

The Russian Federation will use its one-month rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to project its power and influence the international system.

Rubryka writes about this, referring to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

On July 1, the Russian Federation took over the one-month rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for the first time since April 2023.

American analysts suggest that Russia will likely use this position as a power base within the international system as it historically has.

On July 16 and 17, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergei Lavrov, will chair the debates at the UN Security Council

According to ISW, during the Russian presidency in April 2023, Russia already used its presidency of the UN Security Council to promote several narratives regarding the Russian Federation's desired influence in the international system.

Experts noted that Russia uses its veto right in the UN Security Council as a basis for power projection.

Several high-ranking Russian officials have recently launched information operations aimed at deflecting responsibility for Russia's documented violations of international law in Ukraine and likely to set the stage for a future presidency of the UN Security Council.

ISW key takeaways as of July 1

• Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) Head Vladimir Kolokoltsev boasted that Russian authorities have increased detentions and prosecutions related to illegal migration into Russia while calling for intensified Russian government crackdowns against illegal migration.
• Russia assumed its one-month rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on July 1 for the first time since April 2023 and will likely use this position as a power projection base within the international system, as it has historically done.
• South Korea's Ministry of Unification announced on July 1 that North Korean state TV channel Korean Central TVswitched to transmitting broadcasts via Russian satellites instead of Chinese satellites, reportedly affecting South Korea's ability to monitor North Korean state TV.
• Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) Council on July 1.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Kreminna, and Russian forces recently advanced near Avdiivka.
• The Russian information space continues to discuss the mistreatment of wounded and disabled Russian servicemembers in Ukraine.

We will remind that the Austrian human rights organization CEHRI and the George and Amal Clooney Foundation For Justice appealed to the prosecutor's office with a request to start an investigation into the crimes of sexual violence and murder committed by the Russian military in Ukraine.