Russia says that the United States' (US) exit from the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council reflects Washington's unilateralist approach to global affairs.

The US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, announced the pullout on Tuesday, criticising the council for “its chronic bias against Israel” and pointing out that it includes accused human rights abusers such as China, Cuba, Venezuela and Congo.

Russia's UN mission responded in a statement that the US had tried but failed to turn the Council into an “obedient instrument for advancing their interests and punishing the countries it dislikes".

It added that the US criticism of the council for failing to make changes advocated by Washington appears “cynical". The Russian mission described the council as a “key international platform for cooperation in protecting human rights".