Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Guterres said the relationship has never been as dysfunctional as it is today, adding that the trade war between the US and China has rocked financial markets and sparked fears of a slowdown in the global economy. He noted that US relations with Moscow have been damaged by allegations of Russian meddling in US politics and a stand-off over the fate of a Cold War-era nuclear weapons treaty.

The dysfunction is evident in the economy, but it is also affecting the UN Security Council, Guterres said, lamenting the chronic paralysis of the UN's top body.