Trump eyes busy week of meetings as UN General Assembly gathers
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US President Donald Trump will be having a series of bilateral meetings with notable political figures, including the leaders of Ukraine and Britain.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- US President Donald Trump will attend the UN General Assembly with multiple bilateral meetings, including with Ukraine's Zelensky, UK's Andy Burnham, and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
- Trump will address global challenges, emphasising preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons amid ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran and regional tensions.
- The meetings also include Gulf Cooperation Council leaders and Venezuela's interim president, reflecting complex geopolitical issues during a critical UN session with nearly 130 heads of state.
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WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump’s two days attending the UN General Assembly will include a series of bilateral meetings and events with notable political figures, including the leaders of Ukraine and Britain as well as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Nearly 130 heads of state are meeting in New York as the post-World War II order comes under strain, and with the UN itself struggling to remain relevant while weathering attacks from Trump, who has long expressed disdain for the institution and has slashed US funding for many of its agencies.
Trump is expected to arrive in New York on the afternoon of Sept 21 for “political events” at Trump Tower in the evening, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told reporters on Sept 18. On the morning of Sept 22, Trump will address the UN General Assembly.
“The President will highlight how he and his administration have confronted complex problems head-on around the world,” Waltz said. “He will touch on the importance of ensuring that Iran never has a nuclear weapon.”
Iran conflict looms over meetings
Hanging over Trump’s meetings will be the US-Israeli war with Iran, now more than six months old with no immediate end in sight and at risk of expanding as Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants attack Saudi Arabia and threaten a crucial shipping route.
The conflict with Iran will likely be discussed when Trump participates in a meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders. He will then hold a reception for the council, during which he is set to have his first in-person meeting with Delcy Rodriguez, the interim president of Venezuela backed by Washington after the US military ousted former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.
Meeting with Democratic mayor
Trump, a Republican originally from New York City, is also set to meet Democratic Mayor Mamdani on Sept 21, the mayor’s office told Reuters in a statement on Sept 20. The meeting will take place at the mayor’s official residence, Gracie Mansion, and will focus on “issues affecting New York City and New Yorkers”, it said.
The two politicians have criticised each other’s policy positions and hold radically different world views, yet their first meeting in November 2025 at the White House proved to be friendly, and Mamdani described their second meeting earlier in 2026 as productive.
A White House official confirmed the meeting with Mamdani.
Zelensky meeting on Sept 22
Also on Trump’s agenda is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said in a social media post on Sept 20 that he and Trump agreed to meet in New York. The Ukrainian leader did not say when the meeting would take place, but a person familiar with the matter said it is expected to happen on Sept 22. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the possible Zelensky meeting.
On Sept 22, Trump is set for separate bilateral meetings with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham – the first in-person meeting between the two leaders – and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Trump will also meet Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi at some point during the UN gathering, Iraqi outlets reported last week. REUTERS