Volodimir Zelenskyj followed the third speech closely from New York Joe Biden before the UN General Assembly. In 30 minutes, the president of the United States outlined a global landscape marked by the impacts of climate change, food insecurity and the rise of authoritarianism – one of the recurring arguments of his first term.
He dedicated part of his speech to debunking the narrative that accuses Washington of fueling its rivalry with Beijing: “I said that we are for withdrawal, not for separation.” “We want to conduct competition between our countries responsibly, “So that it does not lead to conflict.” And he ended his speech with a clear defense of Ukraine: “Russia is the only one responsible for this war, and Russia is the only obstacle to peace.”
“Russia believes that the world will grow tired and allow Ukraine to be brutalized without consequences,” Biden warned from the lectern under the watchful eye of Zelensky, who was flanked at all times by his chief of staff. Andriy Yermakand his foreign minister, Dmitro Kuleba. “But I ask you: If we abandon America’s founding principles to appease an aggressor, can any member of this body be assured that they will be protected?” If we allow Ukraine to fall apart, is a nation’s independence secure? The answer is no. “We must confront this brazen aggression today to deter other potential attackers tomorrow.”
Biden wanted to leave an image of a world leader, build consensus among the 193 members of the United Nations and appeal to the global south. In this sense, he took advantage of the Chinese President’s absence, Xi Jinpingand the Russian leader, Wladimir Putin. The British Prime Minister was also not present. Rishi Sunaknor the French President, Emmanuel Macron. Perhaps that is why he spent less time convincing countries that have not yet sided with Kiev to come forward than he did in his speech last year. Although he made it clear that his government, together with its allies, “will continue to support the courageous people of Ukraine in defending their sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom.”
Biden emphasized that his administration’s foreign policy is not aimed at “containing any country,” without first referring to Beijing. But he briefly pointed out that “we are trying to manage competition between our countries responsibly so that it does not lead to conflict when it comes to China.” The phase of détente with the Asian giant that took place at the G20 Summit launched in Bali last November has led to a series of high-level meetings between US and Chinese diplomats.
The White House released on Sunday the latest in-person meeting the national security adviser held in Malta over the weekend. Jake Sullivanand the Foreign Minister, Wang Yi.
In addition to gun control, Biden also mentioned the fentanyl crisis, the development of artificial intelligence, terrorism, the defense of human rights, the promotion of women’s rights and the rights of the LGBT community. But he didn’t have time to go into details. He highlighted recent manifestations of climate change – heatwaves, wildfires, droughts and floods, such as those experienced in Libya – and called for more action to combat it. “From day one of my administration, the United States has viewed this crisis for the existential threat it poses, not just to us but to all of humanity,” he said.
But Biden does not plan to take part in the special climate summit organized by the UN Secretary General. Antonio Guterresto discuss formulas for reducing emissions. The US special envoy for climate, John KerryHe will take part in his place.
Biden, for his part, will use his stay at the United Nations to meet with other world leaders, including the leaders of the five Central Asian republics that were part of the Soviet Union – Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. —. It will be the first time a US president has done this.
Sullivan insisted at a press conference that this summit was not “against any country” but rather aimed at “developing a vision for a more stable, prosperous and integrated region and sharing experiences on how to effectively counter and deter Iran.” can”. ” .