Moscow's envoy accuses Washington of failing to honour commitments under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement.
Save Share facebook x whatsapp-stroke copylink Russia's UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia addresses a Security Council meeting, May 21 [File: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters] By Al Jazeera Staff Published On 26 May 2026 26 May 2026 Russia has slammed the United States for failing to grant a visa to Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York, calling the decision a breach of Washington’s obligations.
Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council on Tuesday that the country should have been represented by Alimov – “who oversees matters related to the United Nations” – at the meeting.
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list 2 of 3 Iran war day 88: US attacks near Strait of Hormuz; talks under way in Qatar list 3 of 3 Palestine weekly wrap: Ben-Gvir’s abuse of flotilla detainees causes outcry end of list “However, despite all of our attempts to persuade the US side to issue a visa to him, that visa was ultimately not granted,” Nebenzia said.
The 1947 agreement that established the international body’s headquarters in New York requires the US to issue visas to foreign diplomats looking to attend UN functions “without charge and as promptly as possible”.
Nebenzia said not granting a visa to Alimov is a violation of that treaty and also a slight to Beijing, which is chairing the Security Council in May.
“We view this not just as a breach by Washington of its obligations under United Nations Headquarters Agreement, according to which access to United Nations needs to be provided for all officials and member states, barring none, but we also view this as an egregious instance of disrespect for the Chinese presidency of the Security Council,” he said.
The US Department of State did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
The visa controversy comes at a time of receding tensions between Washington and Moscow as US President Donald Trump pushes to end the war in Ukraine .
Trump has been regularly speaking with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. But Washington has continued to enforce sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine invasion.
Both Putin and Trump have separately visited China and met with its president, Xi Jinping, in recent weeks.
Earlier this week, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Abbas Araghchi , the country’s top diplomat, cancelled his participation in Tuesday’s Security Council meeting due to visa issues.
During last year’s UN General Assembly, in September 2025, the US imposed strict limits on the movement of the Iranian delegation in New York.
In 2019, the US also delayed then-Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s visa for the General Assembly but eventually granted him entry.
