Australia lobbies for UN Security Council seat amid wars — ABC News Australia
Australian outlet ABC News Australia writes that ahead of a meeting of world leaders at the UN, the gap between the scale of wars in Europe and the Middle East and the limited diplomatic steps discussed within the organization is becoming increasingly apparent. The program includes a conference on the two-state principle, where leaders will discuss events in Israel.
The outlet notes that there are no signs of new steps to overcome the deadlock in Gaza or respond to escalating settler violence and Israel’s seizure of land in the occupied West Bank. Donald Trump’s proposal for a Gaza Peace Council, which the UN Security Council supported last year, has made no progress since then.
Australia’s Security Council campaign
Australia is campaigning for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for 2029–2030. The Council’s permanent members — the United States, Russia, the aggressor state, China, France and the United Kingdom — have veto power, which often limits the ability to adopt significant decisions. At the same time, the Security Council remains important as an international platform for smaller states.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade cites Australian leadership in the Council’s response to the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 and the first Security Council resolution on small arms and light weapons among examples of the effectiveness of such membership. Australia was also among the first members of the Security Council in 1946 and chaired its first meeting.
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Jet-powered drones and interceptor shortages
According to ABC News Australia’s assessment, Russia’s war against Ukraine is changing due to the depletion or shortage of defensive capabilities and the emergence of new strike systems. Russia is using Iranian-origin strike drones with turbojet engines that can travel at jet speed, carry large warheads and cover considerable distances. Such aircraft are compared with cruise missiles, but are cheaper to produce.
The outlet reports that one Shahed 136 drone in the new Geran 5 version struck a railway station near the Ukrainian-Polish border. Foreign Policy editor-in-chief Ravi Agrawal, following a trip to Kyiv, suggested that Russia is developing about 3,000 such jet-powered drones every week. He forecasts that by winter, Russia may accumulate tens of thousands of these aircraft and use them against Ukraine’s civilian and energy infrastructure.
A shortage of interceptor missiles, according to the article’s assessment, also makes Persian Gulf states more vulnerable, particularly to attacks by Iran-linked Houthis in Yemen. Amid the urgent need for weapons, Turkey, Poland and Germany are increasing military production.
