BERLIN: Germany unleashed its fury at Russia after it failed to win a seat on the UN Security Council on Wednesday, saying that its support for Ukraine and close relations with Israel may have provoked Moscow.

The council elected Austria and Portugal on the two European slots, along with Kyrgyzstan, Zimbabwe and Trinidad, for a two-year term starting in January next year.

The vote was a blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s struggling government as it has sought to position Berlin as a leading voice in Europe on global issues.

“We have always taken a clear stance on certain issues, and these are positions that not all member states share,” Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters, calling it “no secret” that Russia had stirred up sentiment against Germany.

“There is our firm support for Ukraine; the fact that Russia does not want such a voice at the Security Council,” he said.

“The fact that Germany must always assume a special responsibility for Israel in the Middle East conflict may also have cost votes,” he said.

Wadephul said Ger­many would stand by this responsibility even if it does voice criticism of the Israeli government.

In a separate statement, Chancellor Merz said Ger­many would remain a reliable supporter of the international system and he offered congratulations to Austria and Portugal, which were in direct competition with Germany for two of the five available seats on the 15-member council.

“We applied with conviction. We did not achieve our goal,” he said. “This result does not alter the tasks we face at the United Nations. Germany rem­ains a reliable pillar of the multilateral system.”

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2026