--- title: "Guterres: UN Has No 'Leverage' Over Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East" description: "UN Secretary-General Guterres acknowledged in an AP interview that the organization has no 'leverage' over the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, but continues to uphold the UN Charter and territorial integrity." date: 2026-09-22T12:28:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/guterres-un-no-leverage-over-wars-in-ukraine-and-middle-east tags: [un, antonio-guterres, ukraine-war, middle-east, un-general-assembly, world-economy] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Guterres: UN Has No 'Leverage' Over Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East ![UN Secretary-General António Guterres at a press conference stating the UN has no leverage over the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/22/guterrish-oon-rychagi-vliyaniya-na-voyny/guterrish-oon-rychagi-vliyaniya-na-voyny-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Guterres stated that the UN has no 'levers of influence' over the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East due to geopolitical disagreements. - The Secretary-General emphasized that the UN has no army, intelligence service, or large funds, and that its remaining mandates are public statements and convening assemblies. - Guterres linked the two conflicts to rising food and energy prices and higher interest rates in the world economy. - On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, talks between Zelensky and Trump are expected, and a meeting between Guterres and Lavrov is scheduled for September 24. In an interview with the Associated Press, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated plainly that the United Nations does not possess 'levers of influence' to promote peace in Ukraine and the Middle East. According to him, geopolitical disagreements among member states directly affect the UN's ability to influence the course of the conflicts. At the same time, Guterres emphasized that the organization 'firmly upholds the UN Charter and the territorial integrity of countries,' and also 'condemns the appalling human rights violations' being recorded on both fronts. ### Two Mandates and No Army Answering a question about the real tools of influence, the UN Secretary-General acknowledged that his position does not come with an army, an intelligence service, or significant financial resources. In his words, the Secretary-General is left with essentially two mandates: to speak publicly on global issues and to convene assemblies of the world's countries. Guterres added that the UN does not adhere to a 'transactional approach to politics' and must remain 'a beacon of values and principles for the whole world,' since 'someone must assert that the law of the jungle cannot prevail over the rule of law.' He acknowledged that such a position 'sometimes limits the possibilities for reaching an agreement, since one of the parties is a clear violator unwilling to listen to the truth,' but assured that this 'will never, ever cause us to abandon the values on which a civilized society must be based.' ### The Economic Impact of Two Fronts Guterres drew attention to the fact that violations of international law and impunity have already led to the deaths of people and enormous destruction. He stated that the combination of the Russian-Ukrainian war and the conflict in the Middle East has a 'dramatic impact' on the world economy: food and energy prices are rising, interest rates are climbing, and developing countries are facing serious difficulties in meeting the basic needs of their own populations. The Secretary-General expressed hope that these problems will make states realize that obstacles cannot be removed alone and that international cooperation is needed to resolve them. ### Contradictory Data No discrepancies in dates and figures have been recorded between verified sources: both RBC-Ukraine and domestic publications agree that Guterres's statement was made in an interview with AP, and that his personal meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled for September 24. At the same time, a semantic contrast is traceable in the materials: on the one hand, the Secretary-General publicly emphasizes the lack of military and financial levers on the part of the UN, while on the other — it is precisely during these days that a dense diplomatic program is being built on the sidelines of the General Assembly in New York, including the expected talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US leader Donald Trump, and the scheduled meeting between Guterres and Lavrov. Thus, the rhetoric of the organization's 'powerlessness' coexists with its real activity as a platform for personal contacts between the parties. ### Diplomatic Context: New York and September 24 Guterres's statement came against the backdrop of President Volodymyr Zelensky's arrival in New York: on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, he is to meet with US President Donald Trump, with talks expected closer to the evening. In parallel, according to Russian and Ukrainian media, a meeting between the UN Secretary-General and Sergey Lavrov is scheduled for September 24. The totality of these contacts shows that, despite the acknowledgment of the limited institutional powers, the UN remains one of the few neutral platforms where, in September 2026, the diplomatic lines of the key players in both conflicts intersect. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [UN Has No 'Leverage' Over the Wars Currently Being Fought in the World, - Guterres](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/oon-mae-vazheliv-vplivu-viyni-ki-zaraz-vedutsya-1790079735.html) - Первичный пересказ интервью Гутерриша AP: отсутствие рычагов влияния, отстаивание Устава ООН, две полномочия, экономический эффект конфликтов, контекст прибытия Зеленского в Нью-Йорк. - [UN Secretary-General Guterres to Meet Lavrov on September 24](https://news.rambler.ua/politics/57103673-gensek-oon-guterrish-vstretitsya-s-lavrovym-24-sentyabrya/) - Подтверждает дату личной встречи Гутерриша с Лавровым — 24 сентября, согласуется с газeta.ru. - [Date of Meeting Between UN Secretary-General and Lavrov Named](https://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2026/09/21/29363803.shtml) - Независимое подтверждение даты встречи Гутерриша с Лавровым (24 сентября), датировано 21.09.2026. - [António Guterres, an 'Unarmed Peacekeeper' at the Head of the UN](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B2-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B5/20241023-%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%83-%D0%B3%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%88-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B6%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%86-%D0%B2%D0%BE-%D0%B3%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5-%D0%BE%D0%BE%D0%BD) - Контекстный материал (2024) о позиции Гутерриша как «безоружного миротворца»; согласуется с его текущим заявлением об отсутствии армии и силовых рычагов, но не является фактом текущих событий. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why, according to Guterres, can the UN not stop the wars? **A:** The UN Secretary-General explained this by geopolitical disagreements among member states: the organization has no army, intelligence service, or large funds, and its remaining mandates are public statements and convening assemblies of countries. ### Q: What did Guterres say about the impact of the conflicts on the economy? **A:** He stated that the combination of the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East has a 'dramatic impact' on the world economy: food and energy prices are rising, interest rates are climbing, and developing countries are experiencing difficulties in meeting the needs of their populations. ### Q: What meetings are scheduled on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly these days? **A:** According to sources, on the sidelines of the General Assembly in New York, talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US leader Donald Trump are expected, and a meeting between the UN Secretary-General and Sergey Lavrov is scheduled for September 24.