Carlos Taylhardat | 3 Narratives News | September 25, 2025
Promise: Two Sides. One Story. You Make the Third.
“The UN is just pencil pushers without substance.”
That was Donald Trump’s message this week as he stood before the world at the United Nations’ 80th birthday gathering in New York. In the same hall, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia’s war could lead to the “most destructive arms race in human history.” Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Israel’s war in Gaza “a genocide,” and Israel replied that it was nothing less than self-defence. Eight decades after its founding, the UN remains what it has always been: a place where nations argue, and where ordinary people hope those arguments might still mean something.
Why the UN Exists
The United Nations was established in 1945, following the end of the Second World War, as a successor to the failed League of Nations. Its purpose was simple yet vast: to prevent wars, protect human rights, and bring nations together to solve problems that no single country could solve alone. Every nation has a seat in the General Assembly. A smaller group, the Security Council, makes binding decisions, though the five permanent members (U.S., U.K., Russia, China, France) each hold veto power. (UNGA80 overview)
For everyday people, the UN matters more than many realize. Its agencies run refugee camps, deliver food, support peacekeepers, and coordinate health programs. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, still shapes global law and activism. Yet critics say the UN has become slow, weak, and too political to make a real difference. This year’s anniversary summit captured both sides of that debate.
Trump’s UN — Weak, Wasteful, and Wrong on Climate
Donald Trump, back at the UN, ridiculed the institution as powerless. He boasted that he had ended “seven wars” during his presidency — something he claimed the UN could never achieve. More than anything, he attacked climate policy, calling climate change “the greatest con job in history” and warning that green rules would “destroy the economy of nations.” To Trump, the UN is not a guardian of peace but a bureaucracy draining sovereignty from strong states. His message was clear: nations should put their own interests first, secure their borders, and stop listening to “pencil pushers.” (Reuters)
He did end the meeting by opening the possibility of dialogue and saying that he had always liked the UN — raising the question of whether he seeks to negotiate a restructuring of the institution’s values on sovereignty and borders.
A World That Still Believes in the UN
Other leaders offered the opposite story. The European Union used the week to reaffirm its climate ambition and commitment to multilateralism. (EU at UNGA80) China’s Xi Jinping announced a new plan to cut economy-wide greenhouse-gas emissions by 7%–10% below peak levels by 2035 and expand renewables — underscoring that, for many, climate is an emergency that demands cooperation, not retreat. (Reuters) (AP)
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy used the UN stage to plead for unity against Russia. He warned that if Moscow is not stopped, drones and artificial intelligence could spark “a new arms race beyond anyone’s control.” His message: Ukraine’s war is the world’s war. (Reuters)
On Gaza, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke via video link after the U.S. denied him a visa. He called Israel’s campaign “a war of genocide,” demanded prisoner releases, and insisted Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. Israel’s representatives answered bluntly: their operations are lawful self-defence against terrorism. Jordan’s King Abdullah urged justice for Palestinians as “the only path to peace.” European leaders, caught in between, called for humanitarian pauses but stopped short of using the word genocide. (AP) (The Guardian)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disputes the accusation and has repeatedly warned about Iran’s nuclear programme, arguing that regional stability requires keeping nuclear weapons out of Tehran’s reach.
The Silent Story — Who Is Missing From the Podium?
The loud speeches in New York overshadow the quiet realities on the ground. In Gaza, families still dig through rubble for food and medicine. In eastern Ukraine, another winter looms with homes destroyed and power lines down. In small Pacific islands, rising seas swallow farmland while salt poisons drinking water.
These people are rarely quoted in grand speeches, yet their survival depends on whether the UN can keep delivering aid and pressing nations to act. The silent story is not about who wins the argument in the Assembly hall, but whether the global system still works for the vulnerable.
And it forces larger questions:
- What will the world look like in another 80 years?
- Will the UN survive, or will it fracture under the same nationalist forces it was meant to tame?
- Can it be restructured around new values — climate survival, AI warfare, migration — issues that barely existed when it was born in 1945?
- Or will future generations inherit an institution remembered more for speeches than solutions?
The UN at 80 is not just an anniversary. It is a mirror: of what nations fight for, what they ignore, and whether humanity can still imagine a common future.
Emerging Threats and the Future of the UN
New threats — from AI-enabled warfare to climate collapse — are forcing hard questions about how the UN should evolve. Proposals now on the table include expanding the Security Council (frequently citing India, Brazil, South Africa, Germany, and Japan), and curbing the veto in cases of genocide or mass atrocities. Others argue for issue-specific councils dedicated to climate emergencies, AI & cyber warfare, and migration. None of these ideas is easy; all recognise that a 1945 design may struggle in a 2045 world.
Evidence adds urgency. The IPCC warns the world is on track for roughly 2.5–2.9°C of warming this century without much deeper cuts (IPCC AR6). The UNHCR reports 120+ million people displaced globally as of mid-2025 — an all-time high (UNHCR Global Trends). In Gaza, OCHA figures indicate civilian casualties surpassing 20,000 by September 2025. In Ukraine, more than 6.5 million remain displaced abroad (UNHCR Ukraine). Beyond podiums and talking points, these numbers are the daily ledger of risk and loss.
The Next 80 Years — Scenarios
- Reform & Renewal: A larger Council with Global South seats; veto use restricted during mass atrocities.
- Issue Councils: Permanent bodies for climate, AI/cyber, and migration to accelerate action.
- Fragmentation: Regional blocs (BRICS, EU, AU) assume more power; the UN becomes a symbolic forum.
- Resurgence: Major powers reinvest in peacekeeping and rules — the UN regains teeth.
Whether the UN survives another eighty years will depend less on the eloquence of leaders than on whether nations — and citizens — still believe in the promise of a common table.
Chart: Where World Leaders Stand at the UN’s 80th Anniversary
This chart captures the stances of the most influential leaders across today’s defining issues — climate change, the Ukraine war, Israel–Palestine, nationalism vs globalism, immigration, nuclear disarmament, and their future outlook for the UN.
High-res download (for upload): UN80_leaders_chart.png
| Leader / Nation | Climate Change | Ukraine War | Israel–Palestine | Globalism vs Nationalism | Immigration | Nuclear Disarmament | Future Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump (USA) | Called climate policy a “con job” | Downplayed; sovereignty-first | Strongly pro-Israel | Nationalism, sovereignty first | Strict border controls | Skeptical; supports nuclear modernisation | Lean government; UN should shrink |
| Xi Jinping (China) | 7–10% below peak by 2035; renewables | Calls for diplomacy; keeps ties with Russia | Backs two-state solution | Globalism with Chinese leadership | Economy-driven migration policy | Opposes unilateral cuts; gradual arms control | UN reform with stronger Global South role |
| Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Ukraine) | Supports climate action | “Stop Russia or face AI/drone arms race” | Supports Palestinian rights; focus on Russia war | Pro-global institutions | Welcomes refugees | Stronger non-proliferation to restrain aggressors | UN must regulate AI warfare & drones |
| Mahmoud Abbas (Palestinian Authority) | Supports climate initiatives | Limited focus | Called Gaza war “genocide”; rejects Hamas role | Appeals to UN legitimacy | Emphasises refugees’ rights | Supports nuclear-weapons-free Middle East | UN should deliver a viable Palestinian state |
| Israeli representatives | Tech-forward; wary of constraints | Aligns with U.S. on Ukraine | Frames Gaza as lawful self-defence | National interest; sceptical of UN | Strict, security-based | Opacity policy; no declared arsenal | UN must curb bias; reforms unlikely |
| European Union | Reaffirms climate ambition | Pro-Ukraine; sanctions on Russia | Humanitarian pauses; avoids “genocide” label | Pro-multilateralism | Mixed: open but contested | Backs arms-control treaties; extend New START | Expand Security Council; limit veto in atrocities |
| King Abdullah II (Jordan) | Supports global action | Backs Ukraine | Calls for justice for Palestinians | Pragmatic globalism | Advocates refugee support | Supports nuclear-weapons-free Middle East | UN must uphold refugee rights & justice |
Key Takeaways
- The UN turned 80 with fierce clashes over climate, Ukraine, and Gaza.
- Donald Trump mocked climate action and the UN itself; others doubled down on cooperation.
- China set a 2035 emissions cut target; the EU reiterated its climate ambition.
- Zelenskyy warned Russia’s war could spark a dangerous AI-driven arms race.
- Abbas called Gaza a genocide; Israel rejected that, calling its actions self-defence.
- Reform debates — Council expansion and veto limits — are no longer theoretical.
Questions This Article Answers
- What is the United Nations, and why was it founded?
- What did Donald Trump say at the UN’s 80th anniversary?
- How did leaders respond to climate change?
- What are the opposing narratives on the Israel–Palestine conflict?
- What reforms are being discussed for the UN’s future?
External documents for further reading: IPCC AR6 Synthesis • UNHCR Global Trends 2025 • UNOCHA situation updates
Meta Description (suggested): UN turns 80 amid clashes over climate, Gaza and Ukraine — and rising calls to reform the Security Council. Can the UN evolve fast enough to matter?
