'Can't Allocate More Seats To West': Russia Backs India’s Permanent UNSC Membership Bid At UNGA

New Delhi: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reiterated Moscow’s support for India’s candidature for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), while opposing the allocation of additional permanent seats to Western countries.

Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday, Lavrov said any reform of the UNSC should focus on increasing representation from the Global South, particularly Asia, Africa and Latin America.

“We are in favour of broadening the representation of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. We support Brazil's and India's candidatures for a permanent seat,” Lavrov said.

He specifically opposed additional permanent seats for Western countries, naming Germany and Japan. “UN Security Council reform cannot involve any additional seats being allocated to Western countries, especially to Germany and Japan, who are now on the path to militarism and revanchism,” he said.

Lavrov also stressed that the interests of the African continent should be addressed as part of the reform process. Russia has previously called for greater representation of developing regions while arguing against expanding the Council beyond what it considers a manageable size.

India’s candidature also received support from other countries during the ongoing UNGA debate. Mauritian Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful reiterated his country’s backing for India’s permanent membership, saying Mauritius supports the positions of the G4 and L69 groups on UNSC reform.

Portugal also backed structural reform of the Security Council. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro called for a more representative Council with permanent representation for Africa, Brazil and India.

Meanwhile, the Marshall Islands reiterated its longstanding support for Japan and its G4 partners for permanent membership. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also called for the UNSC to be transformed to reflect current global realities, advocating expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories.

African leaders at the UNGA renewed calls for greater representation for the continent. Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio noted that the current Council still reflected the world of 1945 and pointed out that Africa, despite having a population of more than 1.6 billion, has no permanent seat. Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama also called UNSC reform necessary for the legitimacy and credibility of the United Nations.

The UNSC currently has 15 members, comprising five permanent members - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - with veto powers, along with 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.

Any amendment to the UN Charter requires approval by a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of UN member states, including all five permanent members. Russia’s latest endorsement therefore adds diplomatic support to India’s longstanding campaign but does not by itself change the composition of the Council.

Russia has consistently backed India’s permanent membership as part of its broader position that the Security Council should better represent Asia, Africa and Latin America. Moscow had also reiterated its support for India’s permanent membership in earlier bilateral discussions with New Delhi.

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