Moscow, January 4, 2025 – The Europe Today: Germany and Japan will never attain permanent membership in the UN Security Council, according to Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia. Speaking to Russia 24 TV, Nebenzia criticized some proposed reforms to the Security Council as “naive and impractical.”
“There are countries vying for a seat on the Security Council that they will never get. In particular, Germany and Japan will not see a permanent seat,” Nebenzia said. He emphasized that reforms require broad support among UN member states and unanimous agreement from the five permanent veto-wielding members.
Currently, the permanent members of the Security Council are Russia, China, the US, the UK, and France. Non-permanent members serve two-year terms, with Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia recently elected for the 2025-2026 term.
While Western nations advocate for permanent seats for Germany, Japan, India, Brazil, and Africa, Russia has expressed consistent support for expanding the council to include nations from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, emphasizing representation of the Global South.
The ongoing debate underscores the challenges in achieving consensus on the issue, which requires adherence to Article 108 of the UN Charter.
