The United States is acting with growing impunity and placing its power above international law, according to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who has issued a stark warning about the future of multilateralism.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Guterres said Washington now operates under a “clear conviction” that multilateral solutions are irrelevant. Instead, he argued, US policy is increasingly driven by the unilateral exercise of American power and influence, even when this conflicts with the norms of international law.
His remarks follow recent US military action against Venezuela, which resulted in the seizure of the country’s president, and come amid repeated statements by President Donald Trump suggesting the United States could annex Greenland on national security grounds. Together, these developments have heightened global concerns about US foreign policy and its respect for international institutions.
Guterres warned that the founding principles of the United Nations—particularly the equality and sovereignty of member states—are now under serious threat. He said the erosion of these principles risks undermining the global rules-based order established after World War II.
President Trump has long been openly critical of the United Nations. In a speech to the UN General Assembly last September, he questioned the organisation’s relevance, claiming he had personally “ended seven unendable wars” without UN involvement. He added that the UN “did not even try to help” and concluded that it “wasn’t there for us.”
The growing rift between Washington and the United Nations highlights deepening tensions over international law, global governance, and the future of multilateral cooperation in an increasingly unstable world.
