Trump to return to the UN as Gaza, Ukraine conflicts rage

UNITED NATIONS, September 18 ------ World leaders gather in New York next week for a U.N. General Assembly dominated by US President Donald Trump's return to the rostrum, war in Gaza and Ukraine, rising Western recognition of Palestinian statehood, and nuclear tensions with Iran.

"We are gathering in turbulent – even uncharted – waters," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said a week before the 193-member world body hosts six days of speeches by nearly 150 heads of state or government, along with dozens more ministers. "Geopolitical divides widening. Conflicts raging. Impunity escalating. Our planet is overheating," he told reporters on Tuesday. "And international cooperation is straining under pressures unseen in our lifetimes."

Headlining this year's 80th General Assembly will be Trump, who calls for slashing U.S. funding for the U.N., stopping U.S. engagement with the U.N. Human Rights Council, extending a halt to funding for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, and quitting the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO. He has also announced plans to quit the Paris climate deal and the World Health Organization. Trump will speak on Tuesday, eight months into a second term marked by severe U.S. foreign aid cuts that have sparked global humanitarian chaos and raised questions about the U.N.'s future, prompting Guterres to try to cut costs and improve efficiency. "He enjoys the General Assembly. He enjoys the attention of other leaders," International Crisis Group U.N. director Richard Gowan said of Trump. "My suspicion is he is going to be using his appearance to boast about his many achievements and perhaps once again, make the case he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize."

Trump describes the U.N. as having "great potential" but says it has to get its "act together." He has maintained the same wary stance on multilateralism that was a hallmark of his first term from 2017 to 2021, and also accused the world body of failing to help him try to broker peace in various conflicts. "The U.N. has very strong efforts in peace mediation ... but we have no carrots and no sticks," Guterres said. The U.N. Security Council is the only U.N. body that can impose sanctions, but it has been deadlocked on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine because the U.S. and Russia are veto powers.

"The United States has carrots and sticks. So in some situations, if you are able to combine the two, I think we can have a very effective way to make sure that some peace process at least can lead to a successful result," Guterres said. He and Trump are expected to meet formally for the first time next week since Trump returned to office in January - one of more than 150 bilateral meetings the U.N. chief said he has scheduled, dubbing the week "the World Cup of diplomacy."

Source: gmanetwork.com