On 22 September, US President Donald Trump will address the UN General Assembly and hold at least 11 bilateral and group meetings. In particular, he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and representatives of the six Gulf states, and is also due to sign an agreement to expand the US military presence on the island during a meeting with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland.
Briefly about the main points
- Trump will hold at least 11 meetings with world leaders in New York.
- The talks with Zelenskyy will take place against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
- The leaders of the Gulf states are concerned about the Houthis’ actions and the safety of shipping.
- Trump is due to sign an agreement on the US military presence in Greenland.
- Trump is to hold talks for the first time with Venezuela’s interim leader, Rodríguez.
Talks with Zelenskyy against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine
Meeting with Zelensky will take place against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine, which has now been going on for four and a half years. It shows no sign of ending, despite Trump’s repeated attempts at mediation.
In February, the UN General Assembly, in a draft resolution on lasting peace in Ukraine, reaffirmed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state within its internationally recognised borders and called for an immediate, complete and unconditional ceasefire.
A meeting with representatives of the Gulf states
Trump will hold a seven-party meeting with representatives of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. They are concerned about the advance of the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, attacks on Saudi Arabia and threats to shipping through the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb.
The energy and maritime dimensions of the regional situation have been exacerbated by instability. The International Energy Agency reported that, in August, security risks led to a halt in production of more than 10 million barrels per day in the Gulf states.
The first meeting with Rodríguez and the controversy surrounding Venezuela
Separately, Trump’s political allies and opponents will be watching his first meeting with the interim the leader of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez. She came to power after US forces took President Nicolás Maduro to New York in January so that he could face charges of drug trafficking.
Trump’s allies claim that Washington is working with Rodríguez to open up the Venezuelan oil sector to US investment. Democrats and some Republicans, however, believe that the administration is not putting enough pressure on Caracas to hold new elections.
The agreement on Greenland will continue defence cooperation
At a meeting with the Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen and Prime Minister of Greenland Jens-Frederik Nielsen Trump is set to finalise the agreement. Its stated aim is to increase the US military presence on the island and restrict access for geopolitical rivals.
Danish and Greenlandic officials hope that the document will put an end to Trump’s previous statements about a possible military takeover of Greenland. Defence cooperation between the US and Denmark regarding the island has been based on a treaty since 1951; the US-run Pituffik Space Base is also located in Greenland.
