U.S. President Donald Trump will address the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, as world leaders gather amid escalating crises from Gaza to Ukraine and growing doubts about Washington’s global role.
Many are questioning whether the United States, under Trump’s “America First” foreign policy, is still prepared to lead in international affairs. Since returning to office in January, Trump has slashed foreign aid, imposed tariffs on allies and rivals alike, and cultivated warmer if volatile relations with Russia. At the same time, he has sought, with limited success, to tackle some of the world’s most intractable conflicts.
Some 150 heads of state and government are expected to address the chamber this week. Trump, the second scheduled speaker after the session opens at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT), will take the podium eight months into a second term marked by deep aid cuts that have raised humanitarian concerns and cast uncertainty over the UN’s future.
White House officials have not disclosed details of his remarks. But planning documents reviewed by Reuters indicate the administration will call for sharply narrowing the right to asylum, potentially undoing the post-World War II framework around humanitarian protection. According to the State Department, Trump’s plan would require asylum-seekers to claim protection in the first country they enter, not a destination of their choosing.
Trump and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are also expected to meet formally for the first time since Trump’s return to office. While describing the UN as having “great potential,” Trump insists it must “get its act together.”
The assembly convenes as the war between Israel and Hamas nears its second anniversary on October 7. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to address the gathering on Friday, while dozens of leaders on Monday publicly embraced the prospect of a Palestinian state—a move rejected by Israel and its closest ally, the United States.
Israel has faced international condemnation over its conduct in Gaza, where more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead, according to local authorities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are also slated to address the Assembly. Trump is expected to meet with Zelenskiy on Tuesday, as well as hold a bilateral with Argentine President Javier Milei and a multilateral session with leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan.
