HAMILTON, Canada

Russia's UN envoy accused the head of UNICEF of prioritizing Ukrainian children over those in Gaza after she failed to brief the UN Security Council on the plight of children in the enclave.

"The refusal of UNICEF's head to brief the Security Council about the horrific tragedy linked to the deaths of tens of thousands of children in Gaza is a flagrant step which deserves our most serious censure," Vassily Nebenzia said Thursday at a Security Council session on children in Gaza.

Nebenzia recalled that UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell had briefed the Council last December about the "so-called children's aspects" of the situation in Ukraine, describing the briefing as "disgraceful" and politically motivated.

"So it would appear that for UNICEF, children in Gaza are less important than children in Ukraine. Otherwise, how can we explain the fact that UNICEF deems it unnecessary to brief the Security Council about the situation surrounding these children?" he argued.

He also accused Russell of aligning with the US stance on Ukraine and claimed that her actions violated the UN Charter, alleging she was acting as a US citizen rather than "an impartial UN staffer."

Nebenzia further expressed disappointment with European countries, accusing them of failing to call for accountability for those responsible for killing children in Gaza and continuing to supply weapons to Israel despite the violence.

"The war in Gaza has truly become a litmus test which has shown the West's true approach to the defense of human rights as things stand," he said.