US President Donald Trump is set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the UN summit, where he is expected to present a pessimistic view of the world body’s future. This meeting comes as patience wears thin on Russia, and Zelensky will likely press Trump to take a harder line and impose new sanctions on Russia. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that Trump is not ready to pressure Putin, citing his potential role in mediating the conflict.
The meeting between Trump and Zelensky will be closely watched, given their tumultuous past interactions. In February, Trump berated Zelensky in a White House meeting, calling him ungrateful for billions of dollars in US military assistance. Trump has also moved to pull the US out of international organizations like the World Health Organization and the UN climate body, and has severely curtailed US development assistance.
In his speech at the UN, Trump is expected to articulate his “straightforward and constructive vision for the world,” which emphasizes an “America First” approach. This vision has been marked by a shift away from global cooperation and towards unilateral action. Trump has also been critical of “globalist institutions,” believing they have weakened the world order. The US president’s nationalist agenda has significant implications for global politics, particularly in the context of ongoing conflicts like the Ukraine war.
