US responds to Elon Musk backing India's permanent UNSC membership

In response to Musk's tweet from January, a US spokesperson said that the US government understands that reforms are needed in the bodies of United Nations, including the Security Council.

India's quest to grabbing a permanent seat of the UN Security Council (UNSC) might finally have started making some headway thanks to Elon Musk.

Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson, US Department of State, when asked about Elon Musk's statement regarding India not having a permanent seat at UNSC, said that the President acknowledged the need to reform UN bodies, including the UNSC.

" The President has spoken about this...we certainly support reforms to the UN institution including the security council...I don't know have any specifics to offer what those steps are but certainly we recognise that there is need for reforms," he said.

In January, replying to a tweet on his platform X, Musk said, "At some point, there needs to be a revision of the UN bodies.

Problem is that those with excess power don’t want to give it up.

India not having a permanent seat on the Security Council, despite being the most populous country on Earth, is absurd.

Africa collectively should also have a permanent seat imo."

Musk is set to visit India this month to visit PM Modi as well as launch investment projects in the country.

India has been long vying for a permanent membership of the UNSC, with the aim to better represent the needs and views of developing nations.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, speaking about the issue back in the first week of April, stated, "there is a feeling across the world that this should change, and India should get a permanent seat. I see this feeling increasing every year," he said, adding "we will definitely get it. But nothing big is ever achieved without hard work...we will have to work hard, and this time we will have to work even harder".

With it being the world's most populus nation and now seen as the leader of the global south, other countries have also started backing India's claim to a permanent seat on the Security Council.

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, BJP has mentioned in its manifesto that it will pursue India's permanent membership to the UNSC. "We are committed to seeking permanent membership in the UN Security Council to elevate Bharat's position in global decision-making," the manifesto, named 'Sankalp Patra', stated.