Melnyk at UN Likens Russian Bombing of Kyiv Lavra to St. Patrick’s in NYC

Taking advantage of his address during the discussion of UN Security Council reforms on Monday, June 15, Ambassador Andriy Melnyk resolutely likened the magnitude of Russia’s “blatant” bombing of the Dormition Cathedral to an attack on a house of worship on the scale of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

“For Ukrainians, this strike is of a magnitude comparable to Russia striking St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, Notre-Dame de Paris, or St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York,” declared Melnyk, who is the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations.

The Ukrainian diplomat pointed out that during the massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv the previous night, Russia damaged the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, considered one of the holiest shrines not just for the Ukrainian Orthodoxy, but for all of Christendom.

Melnyk reminded his fellow delegates that this house of worship had been erected in the 11^th century. It was then completely destroyed by the Soviet Russia in 1941 during the Second War War and finally rebuilt by Ukraine after the restoration of independence.

“And now it was Russia again that launched this blatant attack on the UNESCO World Heritage Site,” he said.

Echoing a demand frequently enunciated by others, Melnyk reiterated the ultimatum that Russia does not deserve a seat in the Security Council and therefore should be expelled because its presence undermines the legitimacy of this body.

“Finally, Ukraine stresses a fundamental point: discussions on Security Council reform risk losing credibility if they do not address one crucial issue. A state that commits aggression, violates the Charter, and perpetrates war crimes on a systematic basis shall automatically lose its membership of the Security Council,” he said.

As a strong gesture to Ukraine’s former captive nations neighbors, Melnyk said any expansion of non-permanent membership must include enhanced representation of the Group of Eastern European States, which remains underrepresented, according to him.

The Ukrainian Ambassador, who frequently offers notable quotations from the Classics in his UN addresses, this time cited one by Cato: “Like Cato the Elder in ancient Rome, who repeatedly concluded his speeches in the Senate with the warning that Carthage must be destroyed, I will not tire to remind the UN member states, again and again, that the Russian Federation must be deprived of its illegitimate seat as permanent member of the Security Council.”