Trump to meet 11 leaders at UN amid Middle East and Ukraine conflicts

New York, United States. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday before holding bilateral and group meetings with at least 11 foreign leaders, as conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continue.

New York, United States. The meetings are expected to include leaders from Europe, the Middle East and South America, with further additions to Trump’s schedule possible.

UN address and meetings

The content of Trump’s General Assembly speech was not known in advance. In his address last year, he drew attention with a combative speech in which he said countries were “going to hell” over issues including climate policy and mass migration.

Later on Tuesday, Trump is expected to meet British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

He is also scheduled to meet representatives of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. In the evening, he may briefly meet dozens of additional leaders at a reception.

Trump met French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday.

Conflicts and domestic political pressure

The schedule reflects Trump’s focus on foreign affairs in his second term, during which he has started multiple wars, questioned longstanding alliances, threatened allies with invasion and sought to mediate more than a dozen conflicts, with mixed results.

The US-Israeli war against Iran has driven up global fuel prices, lowered Trump’s approval ratings and created a challenge for Republicans ahead of November’s congressional midterm elections.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday put Trump’s approval rating at a record low of 32%, as Republican support declined over his handling of living costs.

Gulf, Venezuela and Greenland talks

Trump’s meeting with Gulf leaders will be closely watched amid concern over advances by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. The group has captured large areas of the country, attacked Saudi Arabia and threatened shipping through the Bab el-Mandab strait.

Trump will also hold his first meeting with Rodriguez, who rose to power with the Trump administration’s backing after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January and brought him to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

Trump’s allies say the United States is working with Rodriguez to open Venezuela’s oil sector to US investment. Democrats and some Republicans say the administration has not done enough to press for new elections in Venezuela.

During talks with Frederiksen and Nielsen, Trump is expected to sign an agreement aimed at expanding the US military presence in Greenland while limiting the presence of geopolitical rivals. Danish and Greenlandic officials hope the agreement will end Trump’s previous suggestions that the United States could take Greenland by force.