# Global leadership responses to geopolitical instability > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/global-leadership-responses-to-geopolitical-instability > Updated: 2026-09-23T22:45:42.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2. During the 81st UN General Assembly and related high-level addresses, international leaders addressed escalating geopolitical instability and the need for multilateralism. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized European Union resilience against internal and external threats, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for immediate de-escalation in the Middle East and condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Guterres specifically warned of the global risks associated with attacks on water and energy infrastructure. Following these calls, European Council President António Costa advocated for a UN successor committed to international law to mediate conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan. Costa also condemned Russian threats against EU member states. Concurrently, discussions expanded to include climate change, with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa criticizing leaders for allowing geopolitical urgencies to divert attention from the predictable impacts of climate change. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-23: Global leaders call for climate action and multilateralism at UN At the UN and Gulbenkian Prize ceremony, leaders called for urgent climate action and a commitment to multilateralism to address conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/global-leaders-call-for-climate-action-and-multilateralism-at-un ### 2026-09-21: Global leaders call for unity amid geopolitical instability Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Guterres issued major addresses calling for European unity and global peace, addressing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and proposing Canada as an EU associate member. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/global-leaders-call-for-unity-amid-geopolitical-instability --- Cite as: Global leadership responses to geopolitical instability. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/global-leadership-responses-to-geopolitical-instability