U.S. President Donald Trump will take the stage at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, facing a world grappling with simultaneous crises in Gaza, Ukraine, and beyond, while questions mount over whether Washington remains committed to global leadership.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has pursued an “America First” foreign policy that has unsettled allies and adversaries alike. His administration has cut foreign aid sharply, imposed tariffs on both partners and rivals, and withdrawn U.S. support from several UN bodies, moves that have intensified skepticism over America’s commitment to multilateralism.
According to planning documents reviewed by Reuters, Trump is expected to use his UN address to push for sweeping changes to asylum rules, including requiring refugees to seek protection in the first country they enter. This proposal would roll back key elements of the post-World War Two humanitarian framework, signaling a harder U.S. stance on global migration. White House officials, however, have yet to confirm the final details of his speech.
The UN gathering, which will host more than 150 heads of state and government this week, comes as humanitarian concerns grow over U.S. aid cuts. Secretary-General António Guterres has responded by attempting to streamline the organization’s budget and improve efficiency. Trump has said the UN has “great potential” but insists it must “get its act together.” He is scheduled to meet formally with Guterres during the summit, their first encounter since Trump returned to power.
The General Assembly is convening just weeks before the second anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war, which began with the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to address the chamber on Friday, while dozens of world leaders on Monday rallied behind calls for Palestinian statehood—a demand fiercely opposed by Israel and backed by the United States. Local health authorities say more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began, fueling global condemnation of Israel’s military strategy.
Alongside the Middle East conflict, the war in Ukraine will dominate discussions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are slated to address delegates, with Trump expected to meet Zelenskiy in a bilateral session. Trump has cultivated warmer but unpredictable ties with Moscow since his first term, a dynamic that continues to shape the geopolitical landscape.
In addition to bilateral talks, Trump will hold a multilateral meeting with leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. The agenda is expected to include discussions on regional stability, counterterrorism, and energy cooperation, though analysts note that Trump’s transactional approach to diplomacy may complicate efforts to build consensus.
Trump’s second term has been marked by efforts to recalibrate U.S. involvement in global institutions while simultaneously attempting to position himself as a dealmaker in long-running conflicts. Yet with growing resistance to U.S. policies on aid, migration, and peace negotiations, this year’s General Assembly will serve as a test of whether Washington’s voice still carries the weight of global leadership—or whether other powers will increasingly fill the vacuum.
