Attempts by US, UK to Instruct UN Secretariat Constitute Breach Charter - Russian Envoy

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The documented instructions sent by the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany to the United Nations Secretariat asking for an investigation into Russia’s alleged use of Iranian drones in Ukraine, are in breach of the UN Charter, the Russian Ambassador to the world body Vassily Nebenzia said.

"I refer to the documented attempts by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, which Germany has also joined, to deliver direct instructions to the UN Secretariat, which are in breach of article 100 of the United Nations Charter," Nebenzia said on Wednesday.

Russia requested Wednesday's meeting at the beginning of the week as well as asked the UN Legal Department to brief the member states to clarify their legal position.

Last week, leading members of the so-called collective West requested the United Nations Secretariat to conduct an investigation into Iran allegedly supplying drones to Russia for use in Ukraine. Nebenzia dismissed the allegations in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and also criticized the Secretariat for siding with the West without having a legal mandate to conduct such an investigation.

The United States and other member states of the UN Security Council did not violate organizational rules by requesting an investigation into the alleged provision of drones for Russia by Iran because such probe requests are a standard, US Ambassador Robert Wood said.

"Far from constituting instruction to the Secretary-General, such requests for investigations are common, appropriate and by no means in violation of Article 100 of the UN Charter," Wood told the UN Security Council on Wednesday. "It is therefore well within the authority of the Secretary-General to investigate Russia’s and Iran’s violations of Resolution 2231."

Moscow and Tehran have repeatedly rejected claims that Iranian drones are being provided for use to Russian forces in Ukraine.

The UN Security Council members should continue consultations to reach an agreement over whether the United Nations Secretariat has a mandate investigate Russia's alleged use of Iranian drones in Ukraine, Chinese Deputy Permanent Representative to the world body Geng Shuang said.

"Faced with clear differences, the Council members should continue consultations to strive to define clearly how the Secretariat should carry out its mandate and avoid hasty action that would undermine the unity of the Council," Shuang said on Wednesday.