Trump to Showcase Foreign Policy Achievements at UN General Assembly
President Donald Trump, under the watchful eyes of the global community, is set to return to the United Nations on Tuesday. He will present a comprehensive address focusing on his foreign policy achievements during his second term and express concerns that globalist institutions have notably undermined the world order, as stated by the White House. World leaders will pay close attention to his remarks at the UN General Assembly, as Trump has swiftly taken steps to reduce US support for the world body during his first eight months in office. Even in his first term, he was not an admirer of the type of multilateralism that the United Nations promotes.
Following his recent inauguration, he signed a first-day executive order that withdrew the United States from the World Health Organisation. Subsequently, he moved to terminate US involvement in the UN Human Rights Council and initiated a review of US membership in numerous intergovernmental organizations to assess their alignment with the priorities of his America First agenda. “There are great hopes for it, but it’s not being well run, to be honest,” Trump said. The speech delivered by the US president is generally regarded as one of the most eagerly awaited highlights of the annual assembly. This statement arises during one of the most tumultuous periods in the 80-year history of the global organization. Global leaders face significant challenges posed by persistent conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, alongside the unpredictable economic and social ramifications of emerging artificial intelligence technology, and concerns regarding Trump’s hostility towards the international organization.
Trump has also raised new questions regarding the American use of military force upon his return to the White House, following his order for US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June and a series of strikes this month targeting alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea. The recent strikes, which include at least two deadly assaults on vessels coming from Venezuela, have sparked speculation in Caracas regarding Trump’s intentions to prepare for the removal of Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro. Certain US lawmakers and human rights advocates assert that Trump is essentially conducting extrajudicial killings by employing US forces to lethally target alleged drug smugglers, rather than interdicting the suspected vessels, seizing any drugs, and prosecuting the suspects in US courts. “This is by far the most stressed the UN system has ever been in its 80 years,” said Anjali K Dayal. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump would emphasize the “renewal of American strength around the world” and his initiatives to assist in ending multiple conflicts.
The president will also address how globalist institutions have significantly decayed the world order, and he will express his clear and constructive vision for the world, Leavitt said. After his speech, Trump is set to engage in one-on-one meetings with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, as well as the leaders of Ukraine, Argentina, and the European Union. He will also convene a group meeting with officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. He is set to return to Washington following a reception he hosted on Tuesday night, which was attended by over 100 invited world leaders. Trump has faced challenges in fulfilling his 2024 campaign commitments to swiftly resolve the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. His response has been relatively muted as some longtime American allies utilize this year’s General Assembly to highlight the increasing international campaign for recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that is met with strong opposition from the US and Israel.
On Monday, France joined the ranks of nations recognizing Palestinian statehood, coinciding with a significant meeting at the UN designed to rally support for a two-state solution to the Mideast conflict. It is anticipated that additional nations will follow suit. Leavitt remarked that Trump perceives the initiative as merely rhetoric, lacking sufficient action from certain friends and allies. In the lead-up to Tuesday’s address, Trump has sought to maintain emphasis on securing a ceasefire that would result in Hamas releasing its remaining 48 hostages, among them 20 who are still believed to be alive. “I’d like to see a diplomatic solution,” Trump told reporters. There exists a significant amount of anger and hatred, as you are aware, which has persisted for many years; however, there is hope that we will achieve some progress.
Leaders present will undoubtedly be keen to listen to Trump’s insights regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine. More than a month has passed since Trump’s summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and prominent European leaders. After those meetings, Trump declared that he was facilitating direct discussions between Putin and Zelenskyy. However, Putin has demonstrated no inclination to engage in discussions with Zelenskyy, and Moscow has escalated its bombardment of Ukraine following the Alaska summit. European leaders and American lawmakers, including prominent Republican allies of Trump, have called on the president to impose stronger sanctions on Russia. Trump, meanwhile, has urged Europe to cease purchasing Russian oil, the driving force behind Putin’s war machine. Despite his challenges in resolving the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Trump has expressed a strong desire to receive a Nobel Peace Prize, consistently asserting the dubious claim that he has “ended seven wars since he returned to office.”
He highlights his administration’s initiatives aimed at resolving conflicts between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Sudan, Rwanda and the Democratic Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Cambodia and Thailand. While Trump played a role in mediating relations among several nations, experts suggest that his impact is not as straightforward as he asserts. Nonetheless, Trump’s aspirations for a Nobel Prize may influence the tone of his speech, remarked Mark Montgomery, an analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington. “His speech is going to be driven by how much he really believes he has a chance of getting a Nobel Peace Prize,” Montgomery said.
