The helplessness of the United Nations in the months leading up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are impossible to ignore at the annual marquee event of international diplomacy.
For an institution born out of war to preserve peace, its struggle for relevance in the face of the worst conflict in Europe since World War II revives an existential question: If it couldn’t stop the numerous clashes that have arisen since its formation — most recently Russia’s attack on its neighbor, a modern democracy — then what is its purpose?
As leaders descend upon New York this week, where Group of Seven leaders are likely to make speeches decrying Russia for a brutal war, interviews with several officials reveal a rising frustration with a body founded nearly 80 years ago that is increasingly powerless to shape global events from Yemen to Afghanistan.