New York, 3 January 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Moscow has categorically rejected Germany's aspiration for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, Russia's UN representative Vasily Nebenzya said during an interview aired on Friday on Russian state television.

If the council were to be reformed, some countries would never become permanent members, even if they aspired to it, the Russian diplomat said.

"In particular, we are talking about Germany and Japan," he said. Discussions about a reform of the Security Council have been ongoing for years within the UN.

India and African nations hope primarily for a permanent seat on the body. However, the German government has also long been striving for this.

For a while, Russia was even considered a possible supporter of such a reform, but tensions between Moscow and the West have escalated dramatically in recent years, following the invasion of Ukraine ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The likelihood of any change occurring is therefore deemed low. Each of the five permanent members - China, France, Britain, Russia and the United States - possesses veto power, which can be used to block any expansion.

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