In the United Nations Security Council, which of the following listed countries does not possess veto power?

Introduction / Context:
The United Nations Security Council is one of the most powerful organs of the UN system. It is responsible for maintaining international peace and security and has a unique structure that includes five permanent members with veto power. This question checks whether the candidate knows which countries are permanent members and which are not, by asking which listed state does not enjoy the veto privilege. Such questions are standard in general knowledge and international relations sections of competitive exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question refers specifically to veto power in the United Nations Security Council.
• Four options are given, namely the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Russia, and West Germany.
• The five permanent members of the Security Council are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
• We assume that the reference to West Germany is historical but still clearly indicates Germany rather than a permanent member.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to recall the list of permanent members of the Security Council. Only permanent members possess veto power, meaning that any of these five can block a substantive resolution by casting a negative vote. Therefore, any country that is not among these five, irrespective of its economic or political status, does not possess veto power. By matching the options against the known permanent members, we can quickly isolate the non permanent state.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List the five permanent members of the Security Council from memory, which are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.Step 2: Compare these names with the options given in the question.Step 3: Note that the United Kingdom appears in the list and is a permanent member with veto power.Step 4: Note that the United States of America is also a permanent member with veto power.Step 5: Recognise that Russia, as the successor state to the Soviet Union, is also one of the five permanent members.Step 6: Observe that West Germany is not in the list of permanent members of the Security Council and has never possessed veto power. Therefore, West Germany is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick verification technique is to recall that permanent membership and veto power were given only to the victorious allied powers after the Second World War plus China. Germany was defeated in the war and was later divided into East and West Germany, so it could not have been granted permanent member status or veto privilege. This historical background confirms that West Germany does not possess veto power, while the other three options do.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, United Kingdom, is wrong because the United Kingdom is one of the original permanent members of the Security Council and enjoys veto power.Option B, United States of America, is wrong because the United States is also a permanent member with veto authority.Option C, Russia, is wrong because Russia occupies the permanent seat formerly held by the Soviet Union and continues to possess veto power.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may confuse economically powerful states like Germany or Japan with permanent members and assume they must have veto power. Another confusion arises from historical references like West Germany, which no longer exists as a separate state, leading some candidates to think of current unified Germany and its strong role in the European Union. To avoid errors, aspirants should memorise the exact list of permanent members and remember that economic power alone does not guarantee a veto seat.

Final Answer:
West Germany