The World Awaits Trump's Speech in New York Amid Questions About Washington's Role

SadaNews – U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver his speech before the United Nations General Assembly today, Tuesday, as crises escalate from Gaza to Ukraine, raising the question among world leaders: Is the United States, with its "America First" policy, still willing or capable of leading the international order?

Since his return to the White House in January, Trump has radically reshaped U.S. foreign policy, cutting foreign aid, imposing tariffs on allies and adversaries, and creating volatile relations with Russia. At the same time, he has attempted to intervene in some of the most complex conflicts, without achieving any tangible breakthroughs thus far.

Trump is expected to be the second speaker at the opening of the 80th session of the General Assembly, which will see participation from around 150 heads of state and government. His speech comes eight months into his second term, which has been marked by sharp austerity in aid, raising humanitarian concerns and doubts about the future of the United Nations, prompting Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to launch reform efforts to cut costs and enhance efficiency.

Leaked documents indicate that the Trump administration intends this week to push for tightening asylum rules, including requiring asylum seekers to apply in the first country they reach, a move aimed at undermining the humanitarian framework established after World War II.

Trump is also expected to hold his first official meeting with the UN Secretary-General since returning to office, amid repeated statements from the U.S. president that the organization has "immense potential" but needs to "get its act together".

Along with Trump, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio da Silva, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as Guterres and General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, will speak today starting at 1:00 PM GMT.