Scene set for verbal punch-up at UN in New York, as Trump and Netanyahu face critics from EU and further afield

by · EUobserver

Donald Trump delivers remarks to the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2025 (Source: White House )

EU and the World

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By Andrew Rettman,

US president Donald Trump’s Iran war and Israel’s US-backed genocide in Gaza are set to dominate the 81st UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, with Russian and Ukrainian, as well as Israeli and Iranian delegations, to also take the floor.

But the UNGA’s “high-level week” will, in any case, kick off with a political row between Trump and Brazil.

Brazilian prime minister Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will give the opening speech on Tuesday (22 September) morning, in which he has promised to “personally” warn Trump not to interfere in Brazilian elections on 4 October by supporting his populist, far-right rival Flavio Bolsonaro (son of former leader Jair).

And Trump will speak immediately afterward to deliver what diplomats expect to be a pugilistic rebuke.

On the war front, Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky, whose speech is yet to be scheduled, will focus his attention on bilateral meetings, with a potential Trump-Zelensky tête-à-tête, as well as already scheduled meetings with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and French president Emmanuel Macron, to secure more EU funding.

The Trump-friendly Russia will be represented by foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking on Saturday (26 September), even though he is under US and EU sanctions.

And Russia's strategic partner, China, will be represented by prime minister Li Qiang.

Israel and Iran set out their cases

Turning to the Middle East, the two biggest guests will be Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (speaking on Thursday) and Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian (date of speech unconfirmed).

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Donald Trump delivers remarks to the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2025 (Source: White House )

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Author Bio

Andrew Rettman is EUobserver's foreign editor, writing about foreign and security issues since 2005. He is Polish, but grew up in the UK, and lives in Brussels. He has also written for The Guardian, The Times of London, and Intelligence Online.

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