US to seek Russia’s removal from UN Human Rights Council: Diplomat

United States wants to suspend Russia from its seat in the United Nations Human Rights Council due to its invasion of Ukraine and mounting concerns of war crimes. Officials in Washington have also started accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of war crimes.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, made the call to remove Russia from the top human rights body. The American delegation seeks to have a vote on the matter this week.

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The news comes as images from the Ukrainian town of Bucha floated on the internet, showing the remains of civilians left on the streets and in long trenches. The photos have also sparked outrage in the international community.

Ukrainian officials have also joined the call to remove Russia from the Human Rights Council. Dmytro Kuleba, a top diplomat from Kyiv, said he spoke the United Nations Secretary-General on Monday and discussed the matter. “No place for Russia on the UN Human Rights Council”, Kuleba wrote in a social media post after the meeting.

“Ukraine will use all available UN mechanisms to collect evidence and hold Russian war criminals to account,” Kuleba said, according to reports from Associated Press.

The 193-member United Nations General Assembly in New York has the final say, and any resolution to strip Russia of its membership rights would require support from two-thirds of member countries that vote.

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American diplomat Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement this week, “We believe that the members of the Russian forces committed war crimes in Ukraine, and we believe that Russia needs to be held accountable”, according to reports from Associated Press.

Russia and the other four permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — Britain, China, France, and the United States — all currently have seats on the rights council, which the US rejoined this year.