Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an interview to this country's "Xinhua" agency on the eve of his visit to China. In the interview, the Kremlin leader talked at length about the rapid development of Russia-China relations in recent years and the fact that the volume of trade ties has exceeded 100 billion dollars. Putin emphasized the existence of an equal partnership between the two countries in the interview. However, Russia has become dependent on China in many areas. Because Russia faces strict Western sanctions and a war of aggression in Ukraine, it is forced to sell its main sources of income—oil and gas—to China at a low price. Russia has shifted the direction of its trade from the West to China. China's influence in the Russian market has grown significantly. In addition, Russia has begun to purchase technologies from China that it cannot obtain from Western countries. This factor has also increased Russia's dependence on China.
In the interview, the Kremlin leader stated that Russia and China are trying to reform the United Nations Security Council. According to Putin, Moscow and Beijing want to increase the number of UN Security Council members by including countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. However, Putin did not forget his necessary caveat when saying this: “Any change in the UN Security Council must be carefully examined.” This means that new members must meet the demands of Russia and China.
The UN Security Council has 5 permanent members (the USA, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China) and 10 non-permanent members elected for a two-year term. In 2011, Azerbaijan was also elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the first time. The UN Security Council was formed as a result of the Second World War. The permanent members are the victorious countries of the war. However, France's inclusion as a permanent member of the Security Council was based on the efforts of the United Kingdom and the USA. France was not a winner of the war. Nonetheless, based on Washington's and London's efforts, France was also added to the list.
In the 80 years since the Second World War, realities in the international arena have changed. It is no coincidence that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan frequently says the phrase “the world is bigger than five,” referring to the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council. Since Turkey has become a real power in the region, it is among the contenders for permanent membership of the Security Council. Countries like India, Egypt, and Brazil could also claim permanent membership. However, Moscow and Beijing will not support every claimant. For example, would Beijing support its rival India becoming a permanent member of the Security Council? Or would Russia give the “green light” to Turkey?
Moscow and Beijing's goal is not to carry out reforms within the UN. These two countries are simply trying to increase the number of their partners in the struggle against Western countries and appear ready to support such partners' membership in the UN Security Council. However, decisions in the Security Council must be made unanimously. Washington, London, and Paris are not ready to open the doors of the Security Council to other countries. On the other hand, significant decisions in the modern world bypass the UN. When Russia launched its aggressive war against Ukraine, the Kremlin did not take into account the position of the UN Security Council, whose reform it had considered necessary.
"Atlas" Research Center
