US President Trump to offer warmth to allies, warnings to adversaries at debut UN General Assembly
Topics certain to be on his agenda are North Korea and its aggressive missile testing, and Iran, which he has accused of violating a nuclear deal
President Donald Trump will use his debut speech to the UN General Assembly next week to offer warmth to United States allies and warnings to adversaries.
“He slaps the right people, he hugs the right people and he comes out very strong in the end,” US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said on Friday as she previewed Trump’s speech for the Tuesday assembly.
Addressing the UN General Assembly is a milestone moment for any president, but one particularly significant for Trump, a relative newcomer to foreign policy who has at times rattled the international community with his unpredictability.
You often have one 15-minute meeting after another ... It’s kind of like speed dating from hell
“No one is going to grip and grin,” Haley said. “The United States is going to work.”
National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said Trump “will urge all states to come together to address great dangers” facing the world. Among topics certain to be on the agenda: North Korea, which has defied both sanctions and Trump’s threats by continuing with its aggressive missile testing, and Iran, which the president has accused of violating an international nuclear deal.
Trump has been sharply critical of the UN in the past, denouncing its “utter weakness and incompetence”.
As president-elect, he derided it as “a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time”.
He also suggested deep cuts to US funding for the UN.