U.S. President Donald Trump will address the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday as world leaders confront crises ranging from Gaza to Ukraine and weigh whether the United States, under its “America First” foreign policy, remains willing to play a leadership role in global affairs.
Since taking office in January, Trump has cut foreign aid, imposed tariffs on allies and rivals, and cultivated warmer but volatile ties with Russia. At the same time, he has sought, with limited success, to resolve some of the world’s most intractable disputes.
Some 150 heads of state or government are scheduled to speak this week. Trump, the second speaker on Tuesday after the session opens at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT), will deliver his remarks eight months into a second term marked by steep aid cuts that have raised humanitarian concerns and prompted U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to pursue cost-cutting measures.
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White House officials have not disclosed Trump’s speech, but planning documents reviewed by Reuters show his administration intends to press for narrowing the right to asylum, including requiring migrants to seek protection in the first safe country they enter. Guterres and Trump are expected to meet formally for the first time since Trump’s return to office.
The gathering comes as the war between Israel and Hamas nears its second anniversary on October 7. Dozens of world leaders on Monday backed the creation of a Palestinian state, a move opposed by Israel and its main ally, the United States. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to speak on Friday.
Israel has pledged there will be no Palestinian state as it continues its military campaign in Gaza, launched after the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, that killed about 1,200 people. Local health authorities say more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since.
The conflict in Ukraine will also feature prominently. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will address the assembly. Trump is expected to meet Zelenskiy on Tuesday and also hold talks with Argentina’s President Javier Milei.
The U.S. president will later attend a multilateral meeting with the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
