Russia says US denied visa to diplomat for UN meeting

Russia has accused the United States of violating its obligations as host of the United Nations after Washington reportedly refused to issue a visa to a senior Russian diplomat for a Security Council meeting in New York. The incident occurred on Tuesday during a session chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told the Security Council that Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov had been invited by China to attend the meeting but was ultimately unable to travel because the U.S. did not grant him a visa. Nebenzia argued that under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, the U.S. is required to allow access to UN headquarters for officials of member states. He described the refusal as an egregious instance of disrespect towards China’s presidency of the Security Council, especially given the meeting’s focus on defending the UN Charter and strengthening multilateral cooperation.

A UN spokesperson said the organization expects the host country to issue visas for all officials participating in UN activities. Separately, a UN diplomat indicated that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also appeared to have been denied a visa for the same...