The UN’s moment

The United Nations is stepping up actions for a cease-fire in Gaza [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up [here](. Toothless resolutions. Empty rhetoric. Impotent bystander. All are charges often made of the United Nations and its ability to step in during an international crisis. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has finally had enough of shouting from the sidelines about the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza. He unleashed a diplomatic tool last used in 1971 during a conflict that resulted in the birth of Bangladesh. By invoking Article 99 from the UN charter, he is forcing the [Israel-Hamas war onto the Security Council’s plate](. Absent a cease-fire within days, public order will break down completely, he said. The situation is catastrophic. One would have to go back to the Arab uprisings more than a decade ago to try and unpack the UN’s controversial role as an arbiter of peace in the Middle East. Back then, the Security Council voted in favor of military intervention in Libya to protect civilians. Russia regretted its abstention and President Vladimir Putin has used it as an example of why the West cannot be trusted, saying the resolution was but a thinly disguised ploy to enact regime change and topple Muammar Qaddafi. Ever since then, the UN decision-making body has pretty much failed to agree on anything. Something has started to shift. The US has been frustrated by Israel’s conduct of the war against Hamas and worries about the mounting death toll. Typically its role in the UN has been to protect its ally from criticism but last month it withheld its veto to let a resolution pass calling for a humanitarian pause. Israel has made clear its disdain for the UN and Guterres. It views the multilateral organization as stacked with Arab voices and deeply partisan to the Palestinian cause. It’s called on the UN chief to resign. The days ahead will reveal to what extent Guterres acted alone or whether he coordinated with the US. Either way, the UN is having a moment. — [Flavia Krause-Jackson]( A Palestinian man holding a child beside a destroyed building in Nuseirat, Gaza, on Nov. 25. Photographer: Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg Global Must Reads The latest jockeying over aid to Ukraine between Joe Biden and Republicans in Congress is fueling fresh concerns over Washington’s [commitment]( to support Kyiv’s fight against Russia as the 2024 US election nears. The president accused Republicans of “playing chicken with our national security,” urging them to approve $106 billion in support for Ukraine and Israel. Ukraine said Russia attacked Danube River port facilities for the first time in several weeks. Russia announced its next presidential elections will be held on March 17, paving the way for a campaign in which Putin is widely expected to seek a [fifth term](. The announcement came a day after Putin met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman during a rare [foreign trip]( to the Gulf region, defying US and European efforts to isolate him. Mohammed Bin Salman welcomes Putin at Al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh yesterday. Photographer: Royal Court of Saudi Arabia/Anadolu/Getty Images Israel’s war with Hamas has put Egypt center-stage just two months after it looked in danger of financial collapse. It’s the only gateway for aid to Gaza and for besieged Palestinians to escape, and was a key player in talks to free hostages. All of this [translates into leverage]( the nation hasn’t enjoyed for decades and is a boost for Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the former army chief set to be reelected as president in a barely contested vote next week. Escalating tensions over Essequibo, an oil-rich region controlled by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela, have suddenly jumped to the top of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s agenda, [threatening to overshadow]( a summit of Mercosur leaders he’s hosting today. Lula, who has long tried to position himself as an independent arbiter in global conflicts, faces the uncomfortable possibility of having to mediate between Brazil’s northern neighbors. Dubai, home of the world’s tallest building, has applied the same logic of size and opulence to its hosting of the UN climate summit, but the massive scale of the venue and the five-star holiday vibe have prompted fears that a successful outcome could prove elusive. Negotiators at COP28 say that impromptu bilateral meetings in corridors — often where key deals are struck — [are proving impossible](. The COP28 venue in Dubai on Monday. Photographer: Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto/Getty Images Chinese President Xi Jinping told European Union leaders he wants the two sides to be key trade partners capable of [building trust]( over supply chains, as they met in Beijing to hash out a litany of economic concerns and frustrations. Peru freed jailed former President Alberto Fujimori, in the Andean country’s [most dramatic challenge]( yet to an international court that counts all of Latin America’s major economies as members. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and top officials from Germany’s ruling coalition [made progress in budget negotiations]( and will reconvene tomorrow to seek a final agreement on a revised 2024 finance plan, sources say. Washington Dispatch As Elon Musk continues to feel reverberations for endorsing an anti-Semitic post on his X social media platform, the Pentagon confirmed that the Starlink satellite service provided by another of his companies, SpaceX, successfully [completed nine months of military tests]( in the Arctic. The exercises suggest Starlink has the potential to be a crucial asset in a part of the world that’s becoming increasingly important strategically, and where Russia and China have sought to expand their influence. Its portable terminals were able to withstand the harsh Arctic weather, according to Brian Beal, principal engineer with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Integrated Capabilities Directorate. The Pentagon’s interest in Starlink underscores Musk’s ubiquitous presence across several key industries even as advertisers flee X. As he faced international rebukes over the anti-Semitic content, Musk turned up in Israel, where he was welcomed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While the billionaire toured a kibbutz where some of the worst violence occurred during the Hamas assault, Israel’s communications minister tweeted about a deal the ministry is discussing — with Starlink. One person to watch today: A day after the fourth Republican presidential debate, Chris Christie will hold town-hall meetings in New Hampshire. [Sign up for the Washington Edition newsletter]( for more from the US capital and watch Balance of Power at 5pm ET weekdays on Bloomberg Television. Chart of the Day Russia’s oil product exports rebounded in November as the easing of restrictions on road fuels and the end of refinery maintenance [boosted flows](. The increase happened even though stormy weather caused significant disruption to shipments. The market closely watches the nation’s exports to gauge its production since Moscow stopped releasing official output data. And Finally Jakarta is the [fastest sinking megacity]( in the world, with parts of the Indonesian capital having subsided more than 16 feet (4.9 meters). The city has until 2030 to find a solution or it’ll be too late to hold back the Java Sea. Read how a longshot fix might lie with a noodle billionaire whose firm is expanding piped water access to residents, removing the need for illegal wells that deplete the aquifer and so contribute to further sinking. Jakarta. 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