In his Oct. 1 address to the Valdai Club, Russian President Vladimir Putin took up the issue of the United Nations, both in his introductory remarks and as part of the Q&A session.

“The United Nations, even if it is the most representative international organization, falls short of the collective and democratic principles in the way it is being managed compared to its original design. A narrow grouping of Western countries wields an unproportionally large influence. It constitutes a global minority by all accounts while seeking to appropriate administrative functions. And since these countries are seeing their influence diminish as it is taken over by a more and more independent and confident global majority, the lack of balance within the UN system is becoming increasingly obvious….

“Russia still continues to support the idea of fair reform of the United Nations… that fully reflects the diversity of the world, with countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East playing a far more significant role in the Organization….