The United States did not grant a visa for Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov to attend the UN Security Council meeting held in New York on May 26, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the refusal "an egregious instance of disrespect for China’s UN presidency" and said it violated the UN Headquarters Agreement [1, 3]. He said, "Despite all of our attempts to persuade the US side to issue a visa to him, that visa was ultimately not granted" [1]. The meeting was chaired by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, focusing on upholding the UN Charter and strengthening multilateral cooperation [1, 3]. Wang Yi warned that "Global civilization is sailing into dangerous waters; parties should reinvigorate the spirit of the UN Charter" [3]. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world faces unprecedented risks to peace and security since 1945 [3].
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi apparently was also denied a visa to attend the same meeting, according to some sources [1, 2, 3]. Iranian state media reported on May 25 that Araqchi’s trip was canceled due to "overall circumstances and issues related to US visa procedures" [1]. However, a US State Department official denied that Washington prevented Araqchi from traveling to New York, suggesting the cancellation was an Iranian decision [1]. UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said, "We expect the host country to issue visas to all of those who need to participate in the activities of the United Nations at our headquarters here," emphasizing the US obligation as host country [1, 2, 3]. Haq also said, "As the host country, the US has the obligation to issue visas to all personnel who need to attend UN activities" [3].
The UN Headquarters Agreement requires the host country, the US, to provide access to the UN headquarters without exclusion to all officials of member states [1, 2, 3]. Nebenzia called the US refusal "a serious violation of the UN Headquarters Agreement" [3]. The Security Council discussion was paused on May 27 due to a UN holiday [1, 3]. The meeting is scheduled to resume on May 28 with continued focus on upholding the UN Charter [1, 3].
