What Trump said and didn't say
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World leaders have only just begun to deliver their speeches at the United Nations' 81st annual General Assembly, which commenced on Tuesday. Many of these speeches customarily receive little attention outside their respective countries. However, some of them do stand out as an opportunity for world leaders to come together and share their views on the state of the world. This year’s discussions are being held under the theme, ‘Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all”. However, with most of the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ from the previous General Assembly remaining unachieved, the United Nations is facing a bleak future world overshadowed by persistent conflicts. The war in Ukraine, which began a few years ago, continues to this day, as does the conflict in Sudan. Furthermore, with the US-Iran war on Iran that began in February this year, in addition to the turmoil in West Asia, the global economy has been shaken by that attack but it also caused as the first speaker, delivered what amounted to a farewell speech as his decade-long tenure is set to end later this year. His strong remarks on the need to grant Africa permanent membership of the UN Security Council and on Israel’s continuing actions in Gaza, Palestine, were met with wide applause from the audience, reflecting the sentiment among most countries. Although the UN General Assembly often fails to produce significant outcomes, it provides a platform for expressing forcefully the voices that might otherwise go unheard. This was, as an example, evident in the emotionally charged speech by Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who spoke about Israel’s actions.
However, US President Donald Trump’s remarks were not particularly promising. Trump, who has repeatedly shifted his stance regarding the war with Iran, appeared to use his address to the United Nations as an opportunity to issue a warning aimed at intimidating Iran. He said that a major choice lay before him, whether to reach a deal with the country and pave the way for its reconstruction and emergence as a major nation, or to seek the annihilation of the country. It was against the backdrop of such positions taken by the United States and Russia that Guterres appeared to make his remark that it would be wise for the great powers to understand that they are not quite as powerful as they may think they are today. It was evident that Trump himself was deeply confused. Apart from Iran, he also spoke about tensions with Cuba, Venezuela’s oil reserves and his claims over Greenland. Cuban representatives walked out immediately after Trump declared that the US would not allow any other country to establish a foothold for adversaries on its doorstep. Trump, who last year had spoken in terms of forcibly taking control of Greenland, has now, ahead of the UN General Assembly, reached a trilateral agreement through negotiations that provides for NATO’s military presence to continue there. Trump also made a claim about Venezuelan oil that was not consistent with the facts. He stated that the spoils of war belong to the victor, a sentiment reminiscent of the primitive rule that "might isright", implying that they have a claim to the oil reserves of Venezuela, a country the U.S. has invaded. Trump also claimed that if the United States and Venezuela were combined, they would control 60 per cent of the world’s total oil reserves. However, according to fact-checkers, the combined reserves of the two countries account for only 21.9 per cent of global reserves, while their current production amounts to 23.2 per cent of global output.
The gap between Trump’s boastful claims and the realities on the ground in West Asia lying as it is, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also arrived in New York to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. He stated Iran’s perception of the situation that the country has emerged from the war standing tall and has not been defeated. Although Iran has suffered significant military and economic losses, Pezeshkian claims that it managed to deny the United States victory without suffering any serious dent in the morale of its armed forces or the resilience of its people. On the other hand, reports from observers and officials in the Pentagon suggest that the US stockpile of ammunition has begun to run low. Notably, Trump has also indicated that peace talks, if they are to take place, could happen only after the November 3 midterm elections for the US House of Representatives. Most surveys predict a major setback for Trump's Republican Party in the election. Iran, meanwhile, has said that it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week if Washington first adopts a favourable position. Judging by the positions expressed at the UN General Assembly, the prospects for global peace in the days ahead do not appear particularly bright. Yet, recent developments suggest that lasting world peace will depend mainly on the United States abandoning its bellicose imperial ambitions.
