UNITED NATIONS: United States President Donald Trump will address the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday as world leaders confront crises from Gaza to Ukraine.
Many leaders now question whether America remains prepared for global leadership under its America First foreign policy.
Trump has fundamentally reshaped United States foreign policy since taking office in January by cutting foreign aid and imposing tariffs on allies and rivals alike.
He has also pursued warmer but unstable relations with Russia while attempting to resolve some of the world’s most difficult conflicts with limited success.
Approximately 150 heads of state or government will speak this week with Trump scheduled as the second speaker after the session opens.
Trump will speak eight months into a term marked by severe aid cuts that have raised humanitarian concerns and doubts about the United Nations future.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has responded by attempting to trim costs and improve efficiency within the organisation.
White House officials have not yet provided guidance on the content of Trump’s upcoming speech.
Planning documents reviewed by Reuters indicate the Trump administration will propose sharply narrowing the right to asylum this week.
This proposal seeks to undo the post-World War Two framework surrounding humanitarian protection.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed Trump’s more restrictive stance would require asylum-seekers to claim protection in the first country they enter.
Guterres and Trump are expected to hold their first formal meeting since Trump returned to office in January.
Trump describes the United Nations as having great potential but says it must get its act together.
He has maintained the same skeptical stance toward multilateralism that characterised his first term from 2017 to 2021.
Trump has also accused the world body of failing to assist his attempts to broker peace in various conflicts.
The General Assembly occurs as the war between Israel and Hamas approaches its second anniversary on October 7.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Friday.
Dozens of world leaders gathered on Monday to endorse a Palestinian state in a significant diplomatic shift.
This move faces strong resistance from Israel and its close ally the United States.
Israel’s most far-right government in history has declared there will be no Palestinian state.
The government continues its fight against Hamas in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, attack that killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel.
Israel faces global condemnation over its military conduct in Gaza where local health authorities report more than 65,000 Palestinian deaths.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will also address the General Assembly.
Trump and Zelenskiy are expected to meet on Tuesday during the assembly.
The United States president will additionally hold a bilateral meeting with Argentina’s Javier Milei.
Trump will also participate in a multilateral meeting with leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. – Reuters
