UN Chief Says US Acting Above International Law, Warns Multilateralism Under Threat

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has told the BBC that the United States is acting with impunity and placing its power above international law, warning that the founding principles of the United Nations are under serious threat.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Guterres said Washington believes multilateral solutions are irrelevant and prioritises the exercise of US power over international legal norms. His remarks come after recent US actions in Venezuela and amid former President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to annex Greenland.

Guterres admitted the UN struggles to enforce international law, noting that major powers hold greater leverage and often use it for short-term interests rather than lasting solutions. He also criticised the UN Security Council as ineffective and unrepresentative, calling for reform of its composition and limits on veto powers.

Warning of a world marked by conflict, inequality, and “brazen violations of international law,” Guterres stressed the need to confront powerful states to preserve global order, saying, “If we don’t confront the powerful, we will never be able to have a better world.”