Kremlin says UN Security Council should add new permanent members, keep veto power that Erdogan urged scrapping

By ReutersSeptember 22, 20266:38 AM EDT

The United Nations emblem can be seen at the entrance to the general assembly hall as the United Nations prepares for world leaders to convene for the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US, September 21, 2026. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado 

MOSCOW, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Russia believes the UN Security Council should expand its number ​of permanent members beyond the ‌current five, and that the existing veto system should remain, the Kremlin said ​on Tuesday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov ​was responding to a question ⁠from reporters about Turkish President Tayyip ​Erdogan's call to abolish both ​permanent membership and the veto.

Erdogan has long criticised the council, saying its veto-carrying permanent ​members - Britain, China, France, Russia ​and the US - are not reflective of the ‌international ⁠community and are unable to take swift decisions.

Peskov said Russia wanted the council to be reformed, and the permanent ​membership ​expanded.
"At the ⁠same time, we believe that the institution of ​permanent members of the Security ​Council, ⁠as well as the right of veto, are very important elements of ⁠the ​entire structure of ​the United Nations," he said.


Reporting by Dmitry Antonov Writing ​by Alessandra Prentice Editing by Mark Trevelyan

Source

UN Security Council Emergency Meeting on Iran

UN Security Council holds emergency meeting on US operations in Ve...

Somalia set to lead UN Security Council

22 December, 2025

Somalia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Abukar Dahir Osman. © SomaliaatUN

News Desk

Somalia is set to assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council in January 2026. The presidency rotates monthly among Council members and gives each member responsibility for setting agendas, presiding over meetings, and managing the body’s work.

UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said she met with Somalia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman, in his capacity as the incoming President of the Security Council for January 2026, adding: “We discussed the programme of work for Somalia’s Presidency of the Security Council, with a focus on rule of law, and we also discussed the Secretary-General selection process.”

Somalia’s election to the UN Security Council in 2024 marked its return to one of the organization’s most influential bodies after a 54-year absence; the country had last served on the Council in the early 1970s. Somalia is scheduled to assume its new role as chair of the Security Council on January 1, 2026.

On 6 June 2024, the United Nations General Assembly held a secret ballot in which Somalia secured its seat by winning the required two‑thirds majority. Out of the 193 member states, Somalia received 179 votes. Security Council elections are held annually in June, with five of the ten non-permanent seats up for election each year. These seats are allocated by regional groupings: Africa and Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Western Europe and Other States. Candidates must win a two-thirds majority of ballots cast by member states present and voting in the General Assembly.