Ryzhenkov: trust between states is at its lowest point since the Cold War

Confidence between states is at its lowest point since the Cold War, and the necessary transformations are stalling. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Maxim Ryzhenkov on September 26 at a general discussion on the topic “Rebuilding trust, managing transformation: the UN working in the interests of all”, held in the framework of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

- There are more and more voices that the UN is not working in the interests of all and is not able to manage change, the Belarusian Foreign Minister said. In large part because we, the Member States, have been mired in endless discussions, but have not given the Organization a real opportunity to act. That is why the topic of the session today sounds like a verdict of our collective indecision and at the same time a diagnosis that involves urgent treatment.

We are surrounded by a systemic crisis in international relations, said Maxim Ryzhenkov:

- We see it everywhere: the air is filled with anxiety. From Europe to the Middle East, from Asia to Africa and Latin America. The world is plagued by wars and conflicts. They take lives, divide families, turn flourishing cities into ruins, and generate more and more waves of forced migration. Global supply chains are being disrupted. The energy crisis is intertwined with food. This particularly affects the most vulnerable segments of the population. Even more alarming is the collapse of the system of strategic stability. For the first time since the 1970s, there are no legally binding restrictions on strategic arms between the major nuclear powers. There are no treaties, no verification mechanisms, no predictability. Humanity is once again teetering on the brink of existence that we had hoped to leave forever in the last century.

The Belarusian Foreign Minister asked: How did we get to this point?

- This is not a coincidence, he said. This is a natural result of the actions of individual states to purposefully undermine the system of international relations. The world should develop not according to the laws of peaceful existence, but according to the principle of the right of force and political egoism. If we really want to restore trust, we must not hide behind diplomatic curts, but honestly identify the causes of the crisis.