Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for reforms to the United Nations, arguing that the organisation should give greater consideration to countries from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
Putin made the remarks on Thursday, October 1, 2026, while speaking at the plenary session of the 23rd annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow.
According to Putin, the United Nations, despite being the world’s most representative international organisation, does not fully reflect the collective and democratic principles on which it was established. He argued that Western countries currently exercise disproportionate influence within the organisation.
Putin said Russia supports the idea of a fair reform of the UN but acknowledged that achieving such changes would require consensus among member states. He stressed that reform should go beyond simply expanding the UN Security Council or adjusting geographical representation.
The Russian leader said the organisation’s structure should better reflect the diversity of the modern world, with countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East playing a more significant role in its affairs.
The issue of greater African representation has also featured prominently in the ongoing debate over UN Security Council reform. African countries have called for permanent representation on the Council, while UN discussions have acknowledged broad support for more equitable representation of Africa and other underrepresented regions.
Putin’s latest comments come amid wider international discussions over how the UN and its Security Council can be restructured to reflect changes in the global balance of power.
