There could be upheaval in the admission of countries to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as Russian President Vladimir Putin has advocated giving countries like India a seat at the proverbial table.
During an annual discussion forum on Thursday, Putin praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed support for reforming the United Nations Security Council to include his country as a member. The UN Security Council previously accepted India as a provisional member and gave it the option to join for two years. This membership expires in 2022.
“I believe we should adapt international law to current needs and changing global situations. Countries with significant influence in international affairs, such as India, with its 1.5 billion people and GDP growth of over 7%, deserve representation and the opportunity to contribute to solving global problems,” Putin said at the annual conference of the Valdai Discussion clubs in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia.
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He added: “India’s high-tech exports are growing exponentially, making the country stronger every year under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.”
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Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking at the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. (Grigory Sysoyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
India and Russia share a unique international partnership, with India purchasing record amounts of Russian oil.
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The South Asian country also did not take part in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which included abstaining from UN General Assembly votes against Russia.
Russia claims to have foiled a major drone attack in Ukraine as Kiev faces depletion of arms and ammunition supplies
India also has a long history of purchasing and using Russian weapons for its military.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. (Grigory Sysoyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States are the only five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, although it elects ten non-permanent members for two-year terms.
India was previously a member of the UN Security Council and has been fighting for a permanent seat for decades.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes President Biden to the G20 summit in New Delhi on September 9, 2023. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Such a move faced strong opposition from China, which has emerged as a diplomatic ally of Russia, especially as Moscow faces international sanctions over its ambitions in Ukraine.
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Putin’s proposal to change international laws comes as he has also pushed for lifting nuclear test bans.
Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower house, the State Duma, followed Putin’s warning and said Moscow could revoke its ratification of the international pact banning nuclear tests because the United States had never ratified it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday, October 5, 2023 that Russia has effectively completed the development of the Burevestnik cruise missile and the Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile and will work on their production. (RU-RTR Russian Television via AP)
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“It meets our national interests,” Volodin said of repealing the 2000 ratification. “And it will be a quid pro quo for the United States, which still has not ratified the treaty.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.