Russia’s begun its scheduled month-long UN Security Council presidency, despite calls to bar it from the position while it continues its war in Ukraine. The Council – which is tasked with ensuring international peace and stability – has 15 members, including Russia, that rotate through the role. Russia last held it in February 2022, the month it invaded Ukraine. Officials have described the move as a “symbolic blow” and “the world’s worst April Fool’s joke”. And it’s again raised questions about whether Russia can be kicked out of the Council, with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba saying the current set-up is a “stark reminder that something is wrong with the way international security architecture is functioning”. That’s because, although the Council presidency is mostly procedural, it still has influence. Moscow’s UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzia says in the role, he’ll oversee a debate on arms control and discuss a “new world order”.