As the current president of the United Nations Security Council, Russia has been using its position to promote its war on Ukraine. Its recent meeting was aimed at defending the principles of the U.N. Charter – a pact in part designed to prevent wars. Russia used this opportunity to defend its actions in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Another meeting is scheduled for Tuesday to discuss "The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question", after Moscow reportedly refused to postpone it to honour Israel's Memorial Day. This refusal was seen as retaliation for Israel's support of Ukraine in the ongoing war there.

Members of the Security Council have expressed concerns about this use of the presidency to push a specific agenda, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflicts involving Russia. While Russia is acting within the long-established rules for presidency in the council, there are concerns about the precedents being set. It is unclear how this could all play out in the long term but it is clear that the tensions caused by this presidency will remain for some time.