US President Donald Trump is set for a packed day of diplomacy at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, meeting with leaders from four continents as the unresolved wars in Iran and Ukraine dominate the sidelines of the annual gathering.
Trump will open with an address to assembled delegates before holding at least 11 separate meetings, either one-on-one or in group settings, throughout the day.
The contents of his speech remain undisclosed, though last year’s address drew controversy after he told delegates their countries were “going to hell” over issues including climate policy and migration.
The Ukraine war, now in its fourth and a half year, continues despite repeated US mediation attempts, while the US-Israeli campaign against Iran has proven especially costly on the home front — driving up global fuel prices, eroding Trump’s domestic approval and complicating Republican prospects ahead of November’s congressional midterms.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday put Trump’s approval rating at an all-time low of 32%, with even Republican voters increasingly critical of his handling of living costs.
Later Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to meet British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, and the prime ministers of Denmark and Greenland, alongside delegations from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
The Denmark-Greenland meeting is expected to produce an agreement expanding US military presence on the Arctic island while limiting rival powers’ access — a deal officials hope will close the door on Trump’s earlier suggestions that Washington might seize the territory by force.
A seven-way session with Gulf leaders will draw particular attention, given mounting regional alarm over Houthi advances in Yemen, including attacks on Saudi Arabia and threats to shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
Trump’s first meeting with Rodriguez, who assumed power after US forces removed President Nicolás Maduro in January, will also be closely watched. Additional meetings, including a possible leaders’ reception in the evening, may be added to the schedule.
