Can the UN Still Function in a World of Great-Power Confrontation?

Picture this: missiles fly over Ukraine as Russia digs in, while tanks roll through Gaza amid cries for aid. China eyes Taiwan waters, and the US rallies allies against it all. Great powers lock horns, and the United Nations sits in New York, its Security Council chamber often silent or stalled. In 2025, just four vetoes blocked action, down from eight the year before, yet deadlocks linger on Sudan and beyond. No vetoes mark early 2026 so far, but tensions simmer.

Can the UN still function when these giants clash? It tries, but vetoes from the US and Russia hobble its steps. This piece breaks it down. We look at recent vetoes that expose paralysis, funding woes that starve operations, and reform ideas that spark hope. Why care? Because global peace hangs on it. Without the UN, small wars balloon, aid dries up, and rivalries sharpen. Fresh facts from 2025 and 2026 show a body under strain, yet pushing forward.

How Recent Vetoes Show the Security Council’s Paralysis

The UN Security Council holds real power to enforce peace, but veto rights for its five permanent members – the US, Russia, China, UK, and France – often grind it to a halt. In 2025, four vetoes hit key drafts, a drop from 2024’s eight, the most since 1986. Russia tops the historical tally with 159 vetoes since 1946, including Soviet ones. The US follows at 93, many to shield Israel. These blocks stall resolutions on wars that kill thousands and displace millions.

Take Gaza and Ukraine. The US vetoed two drafts there, while Russia nixed two Ukraine-related amendments. Elected members crafted bolder texts, but permanent powers pulled the plug. Deadlocks spread to Sudan, where talks falter without cash or consensus. Vetoes don’t just kill bills; they signal deep rifts. Great powers protect interests first, leaving the Council as a stage for showdowns, not solutions. Peace efforts crumble when trust erodes like sand under waves.

Russia’s tally dwarfs others because it guards its sphere. The US focuses on allies like Israel. Both see vetoes as shields in a hostile world. Yet this setup, born post-World War Two, creaks under today’s multi-polar strains. Without change, the Council risks irrelevance.

US Stands Firm on Gaza Resolutions

The US cast two vetoes on Gaza in 2025, both from drafts by the Council’s 10 elected members. On 4 June, it blocked a call for ceasefire and more aid inflows. Officials said it failed to blast Hamas enough or link peace to hostage release. Europe split: some abstained, others backed it.

Then, on 18 September, the US vetoed again. This text demanded an immediate ceasefire, hostage freedom, and unrestricted aid to fight famine. UN News details the September standoff, where the US stood alone against 12 yes votes and two abstentions. It fits a pattern: 93 vetoes since 1946, over half for Israel. Allies cheer protection; critics cry double standards. Gaza’s toll mounts – over 40,000 dead by late 2025 – as blocks delay relief.

Russia Shields Itself Over Ukraine

Russia vetoed two amendments to Ukraine drafts in early 2025. Europeans pushed these to a US-led text, S/RES/2774, stressing Ukraine’s borders and sovereignty under UN rules. The US abstained after, letting Russia kill them. No full Ukraine resolution passed veto-free that year.

This echoes Russia’s history: dozens of blocks on its invasions. It casts the West as aggressors, vetoing probes into atrocities. By January 2026, patterns hold with zero new vetoes, but talks stall. Ukraine rebuilds amid ruins, sovereignty in name only without enforcement. Permanent foes turn the Council into a veto arena.

Where the UN Falls Short Amid Funding Squeezes

Money woes hit the UN hard as great powers feud. The US, its biggest donor, covers 22% of the core budget and 27% of peacekeeping. Delays in 2026 payments force slashes across programmes. Missions shrink, aid rations thin, and health drives stall. Rivalries mean less cash for shared goals.

The World Food Programme cut staff by 30% in spots, UNHCR trimmed refugee ops, and OCHA picks top crises only. No big WHO wins emerge; climate talks whisper. Peacekeeping troops pull back from hot zones, raising risks for civilians. Imagine families in Sudan waiting for food that never comes because budgets bleed dry. Human costs bite deepest.

Political snags worsen it. US pulls from pacts, Russia skips dues sometimes. Overall, the UN limps, its 80-year frame strained by cash fights. Operations adapt by prioritising, but gaps widen in forgotten wars.

Peacekeeping Missions Face Deep Cuts

UN peacekeeping, once 100,000 strong, now eyes retrenchment. US funding freezes in 2026 halt new troops. Missions in Mali and Congo scale back patrols. No triumphs shine; just survival plans.

Troops face ambushes without backup. Political pushback from hosts adds peril. South Sudan sees clashes rise as blues helmets thin out. Cuts save cash short-term but breed chaos long-term. Local forces step up, often outmatched.

Aid and Health Efforts Shrink Fast

Aid agencies reel. World Food Programme axes jobs, rations dwindle in Yemen and Gaza. UNHCR closes camps for lack of funds. OCHA labels Sudan a hyper-crisis, others fall off lists.

Health lags too. WHO fights outbreaks with scraps; no pandemic prep leaps. Climate aid? Silent amid veto vibes. Families starve, kids miss vaccines. A child’s empty bowl tells the tale of squeezed purses.

Reform Sparks That Could Revive the UN

Glimmers of change pierce the gloom. The UN marked its 80th year in 2025 with efficiency drives. The Lowy Institute notes its broke but indispensable state. Budget dipped $270 million to $3.45 billion for 2026 by cutting waste and shifting to low-cost sites.

The Pact for the Future, sealed in 2024, eyes Security Council tweaks. It floats more seats for Africa and Asia, veto limits. France and UK haven’t vetoed since 1989, setting examples. 2026 dubs itself Year of Women Farmers and Volunteers, boosting grassroots ties.

Reforms target veto paralysis head-on. Elected members draft bolder now, forcing debates. Results wait, but momentum builds. Great powers resist, yet pressure mounts from 193 members.

UN80 Plan Targets Waste and Speed

For its 80th, the UN launched cuts to bloat. Offices merge, paper shrinks, remote work rises. Savings hit $270 million, easing 2026 strains. Staff focus on core tasks like peace and aid.

Speed ups too: digital approvals slash delays. World Finance questions if it’s enough. Early wins show promise amid cash crunches.

Calls Grow for Fairer Security Council

Pact pushes seats for rising powers. Africa wants two permanent spots; Asia eyes India, Japan. Veto curbs gain traction via the Veto Initiative – 17 debates by late 2025.

P5 digs in, but shifts brew. November 2025 saw Council pass US Gaza plan 2803 for stability forces, no veto. Incremental fixes could balance the board.

In a world of great-power clashes, the UN functions but hobbles. Vetoes in 2025 on Gaza and Ukraine laid bare paralysis; funding cuts starved missions and aid. Yet reforms like UN80 efficiencies and Pact seats offer paths ahead. Watch 2026: more veto drops, budget tweaks, or reform votes could steady it.

The body born to end wars adapts slow but sure. Reform holds the key to relevance. What do you think – can vetoes fade? Share in comments, follow for updates on global shifts. Your voice matters for peace.