The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York has kicked off with a lineup of critical speeches from global leaders, setting the stage for intense discussions on pressing international issues.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered an impassioned address, appealing for increased military aid to combat Russia’s ongoing invasion. His call came just a day after former President Trump indicated a surprising shift in his stance, suggesting that Ukraine could indeed win back all its lost territory. Zelensky highlighted the escalating tensions between Europe and Russia, noting recent Russian drone incursions into NATO airspace over Poland, Estonia, and Romania. He warned that rapid advancements in weaponry were creating an unprecedented “destructive arms race” and raised concerns about the unchecked rise of artificial intelligence posing new threats to global security. This emphasis on military solutions, however, stood in stark contrast to the UN’s founding principles of dialogue and diplomacy.
The sentiment in Ukraine regarding Trump’s sudden change of heart was a mix of gratitude and skepticism. While welcoming the unexpected support, many Ukrainians remained cautious, even joking that his position could change at any moment. Trump’s social media posts painted Russia’s economy as “in BIG Economic trouble” and its army as a “paper tiger,” a stark reversal from previous comments where he had urged Ukraine to make territorial concessions. Moscow, predictably, dismissed these remarks, asserting that Russia, likened to a bear, has no “paper bears.”
Despite Trump’s optimistic assessment, Ukrainian military commanders acknowledge there’s no purely military path to reclaim the 20% of territory held by Russia without an unforeseen collapse. President Zelensky noted that Ukrainian forces had recaptured approximately 360 square kilometers in September, emphasizing that while not a massive victory, it signifies they are “not losing.” However, Russia maintains a personnel advantage in a war of attrition, having occupied over 1,150 square miles of Ukrainian land this year, including parts of the Kursk region, though failing to capture key strongholds like Pokrovsk.
Zelensky also stressed Russia’s economic vulnerabilities due to international sanctions, mounting war costs, and Ukrainian strikes on fuel infrastructure, an argument that resonated with Trump’s recent comments. Russia, conversely, believes a prolonged conflict favors them, banking on their larger population and industrial capacity. The Kremlin views any openness to talks from Zelensky as a sign of weakness. Russia’s budget deficit, currently at $50 billion, is straining under military spending, with proposals for tax increases to fund defense. Despite this, Moscow denies deep economic troubles, citing resilience, low unemployment, and rising incomes, although Ukrainian drone strikes have caused localized fuel shortages. Ukrainians, remembering past unfulfilled international promises like the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, are building new security architectures with a “coalition of the willing” and hope for a strong “backstop” from the United States, even as Trump’s parting “Good luck to all!” on social media hinted at a more distant role.
Beyond Ukraine, the Assembly also turned its attention to the Middle East. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New York under immense diplomatic pressure. His address follows a tense 12-day war with Israel in June, which included Israeli airstrikes and assassinations of Iranian commanders, Iranian ballistic missile retaliation, and US strikes that disabled Iran’s nuclear facilities. Pezeshkian is expected to portray Iran as a victim of aggression and seeks to prevent the UN Security Council from reimposing sanctions over its nuclear program. Despite Iran’s claims of peaceful nuclear intentions and the IAEA finding no evidence of weaponization prior to the attacks, Iran’s hostile stance towards Israel and its enrichment of uranium to near-weapons grade raise significant international concern. Analysts suggest this Assembly might be Iran’s last chance to negotiate a deal with the US and Europe to avoid further sanctions, including asset freezes, which are set to take effect on September 28th. Despite Iranian political figures openly advocating for a meeting with President Trump—a move that would break a 47-year diplomatic taboo—a deal appears unlikely given internal divisions and the looming deadline.
Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Shara, made his first appearance on the global stage since his opposition forces overthrew the Assad family. He expressed openness to a security agreement with Israel but cautioned against Israeli expansionism and aggressive military actions, stating, “there can be no peace through heavy-handed policies.” He affirmed that Syria would not threaten any country, including Israel, but warned against “continued airspace violations and provocations.”
Finally, global warming and artificial intelligence emerged as critical cross-cutting themes. The UN Security Council is scheduled to discuss the threats AI poses to world peace, with Secretary-General António Guterres advocating for a global watchdog to regulate this rapidly advancing technology. Simultaneously, Guterres is hosting a climate summit where 118 nations are expected to present their 2035 emissions-reduction targets under the Paris Agreement. This comes despite former President Trump’s public repudiation of climate action, which the EU climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, noted was having no effect on other countries’ climate ambitions. Hoekstra highlighted Europe’s commitment to aggressively cut emissions, contrasting it with the US administration’s “checking out” of climate action, even as the EU faces its own challenges in finalizing its 2035 targets. Europe is also navigating complex geopolitical dynamics, relying on US cooperation while being wary of China’s dominance in clean energy technologies.