(NewsNation) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy challenged the U.N. to kick Russia off the Security Council and “do everything that we can do to establish peace.”
Barring that, he told the council: “Dissolve yourself.”
So is it possible for Russia to be kicked out of the U.N.?
Here is what we know:
- The U.S. has only suspended two of its members in its 77-year history, with the key distinction being suspension versus expulsion. The U.N. has never completely removed a member.
The two suspensions were the cases of South Africa in 1974 over apartheid and Cambodia in 1997 after a military coup in the country.
- Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council — in which Russia has a veto. This includes all five permanent members of the Security Council.
Russia is among the 5 permanent members of the Security Council along with China, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
With veto power, Russia can effectively stop its own suspension or expulsion.
- Articles 5 and 6 of the U.N. Charter allow for a member to be suspended of its rights and privileges of membership upon the recommendation of the Security Council.
But, again, it has to be based on the recommendation of the Security Council — in which Russia has a veto.
What else can be done?
The United States plans to seek a vote this week to suspend Russia from its seat on the U.N.’s top human rights body, pointing to increasing signs that Russian troops may have committed war crimes in Ukraine, according to the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.