Russia has a stake in crises around the world from Ukraine to Syria, Sudan and Mali -- and that is reflected in the active role it takes at the UN Security Council on issues both big and small, contrasting with the relative detachment of the US.
The paradox is that, by at least one measure, the former superpower's role at the Security Council is outsized: Moscow does not carry much weight in the global economy, and its financial contribution to the United Nations is far below that of Washington, the European Union or China.
The Soviet Union, as a member of the victorious Allied Forces in World War II, was made a permanent member of the Security Council in 1945. Russia kept the seat after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. As in any asymmetrical conflict the Russians are using what tools they can to maintain power -- especially at the United Nations.
In December, Russia vetoed a resolution linking international security to global warming for the first time. Several Western ambassadors who asked to speak on condition of anonymity blasted Moscow's foreign policy, pointing to its diplomatic and military interventions, often using mercenaries from the Wagner Group which is close to Vladimir Putin.But Moscow insists it is not permanently seeking confrontation, particularly against Washington.
The United States, firm against Russia elsewhere, often appears apathetic when confronted at the Security Council with Moscow -- which this month holds the body's rotating presidency.
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