The following is from an article by editorial writer Tsugumasa Uchihata in the Sankei Shimbun on March 8, titled “World Peace in Russia’s Hands.
It is a must-read for the Japanese people and people worldwide.
The last sentence below the asterisk is mine.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning the aggression and calling for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal.
It must be noted that the Security Council had earlier rejected a resolution to the same effect.
About 80 countries co-sponsored the Security Council resolution, with 11 countries voting in favor and three countries, including China, abstaining.
Russia exercised its veto power in one country and rejected it.
The resolution against Russia is unusual because the Security Council usually does not address disputes involving any of the five permanent members of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China.
These five countries have a strong sense of responsibility as significant powers and will not threaten peace independently.
It should be the premise, but in reality, the permanent members of the Council can easily veto any decision they don’t like, so there is no point in debating the issue.
The Security Council consists of 15 countries, including ten non-rejective non-executive members with a two-year term.
At least nine votes adopt resolutions, but if any of the five permanent members oppose the solution, it is rejected even if all 14 remaining members agree.
World peace depends on the will of a single country.
The veto is such enormous power.
The League of Nations, the predecessor of the UN, was powerless to maintain peace because of the absence of significant powers, with the U.S. not participating and Japan and Germany withdrawing from the organization.
From that reflection, the current United Nations has come up with the idea of maintaining peace led by significant powers centered on victorious countries such as the United States and the Soviet Union.
Indeed, without significant powers’ military and economic power such as the United States, Russia, and China behind them, the parties to the conflict would not listen to what the Security Council had to say.
The Security Council’s draft resolution against Russia was not intended to be adopted from the outset. Instead, the main goal seems to have been to highlight Russia’s isolation by having the only Russian representative raise his hand in “opposition” at the open consultations.
The Ukrainian national team, who attended as one of the parties, appealed to the violence of the great power by encouraging the participants to remain silent in the presence of the Russian national team.
It was also a stepping stone for holding an emergency special session of the General Assembly.
Regardless of the evaluation of such diplomatic tactics, the frightening reality of the international order is that world peace is left to the will of the five great powers.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly invaded and slaughtered his neighbors and threatened the international community using nuclear weapons.
Domestically, he has suppressed opposition forces, rewritten the constitution, and made possible another long-term regime.
The Security Council issued a statement “strongly condemning the violence” of the Myanmar military in suppressing the protests. Still, it is doubtful how persuasive this statement will be when Putin is among those who reprimanded the military.
China has illegally reclaimed reefs in the South China Sea and built many military facilities, including runways.
There have also been collisions between Chinese vessels and Vietnamese fishing boats. 
Considering the impact on the peace and security of the international community, it is a problem that the Security Council should solve. Since China is a permanent member of the Security Council, it is strange that they will not include it in the discussion.
The need for UN reform, including Security Council reform, has been called for many times, but time has passed untouched.
The breakdown of the system has reached a point where it is no longer possible to mend it with a few tricks.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the heavy damage inflicted on the world have clearly demonstrated this.

*As I have mentioned many times, it is ridiculous to call countries such as China and Russia great powers without question.
These two countries are, quite simply, nothing more than gangster nations.
Nevertheless, the world media has been calling Russia a superpower because of its extraordinary military power and China’s population of 1.4 billion.
It has made Putin and Xi Jinping, who are nothing more than gangster bosses, grow presumptuous.