U.S. President Joe Biden hosts the 2023 Teacher of the Year event at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

i24 News – US President Joe Biden is expected to call for a restructuring of the UN Security Council to offset Russian and Chinese power on the body by adding more members, according to a report in the Telegraph on Sunday.

Citing a diplomatic source, the UK news outlet said that the American president is seeking to add “five or six” new members, including India, Brazil, Germany, South Africa and Japan.

According to US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, Biden “will take a look at the architecture of the Security Council” as the UN General Assembly convenes this week.

The body comprises 15 member states: five permanent member states with veto powers and 10 member states elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms. It is unclear whether new permanent members under Biden’s proposal will enjoy the same veto powers as the current permanent members.

The annual convening of the General Assembly draws dignitaries worldwide to New York, which this year will include a meeting between Biden and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This first meeting between Biden and Netanyahu notably will not take place in the White House after the American administration hesitated to invite the Israeli prime minister because of widespread protests and opposition to the current government – it will rather take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Biden is expected to speak on Tuesday to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is set to address the General Assembly in person for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.