the president Joe Biden On Tuesday morning, he will address the United Nations General Assembly for the last time as commander-in-chief spiral conflict Russia continues in the Middle East war in ukraine and growing global concerns about China’s influence.
It comes in the wake of his speech the presidential race is in its final stages knowing that his successor is the vice president until the election day Kamala Harris or former president Donald Trump — will face the same problems in the White House and may deal with them in very different ways.
These are also Biden’s first statements before the General Assembly since October’s Hamas attack on Israel and the conflict in Gaza that has killed thousands of civilians. As hopes for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas dwindle, he will speak to leaders of other nations.
While Israel continues its battle with Hamas, its conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah has intensified in recent days. Monday, Israeli shoted organizes air strikes neighbor LebanonThe government also warned people living in the northern region to evacuate to escape the violence near the Israeli border, which left nearly 500 people dead and more than 1,600 injured in Lebanon’s deadliest day of conflict with Israel since 2006.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters last week that Biden will “reaffirm America’s leadership on the world stage” in New York and “gather global action to address the world’s most pressing issues.” He said these include climate change, artificial intelligence, the opioid epidemic and the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere. From Sudan.
As for his speech Tuesday morning, “the president will address the UN General Assembly and lay out his vision for how the world can come together to tackle these big challenges and defend fundamental principles like the UN Charter,” Kirby said.
Kirby said Biden will meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to “talk about how the partnership between the United States and the United Nations in promoting peace and protecting human rights can continue and flourish.” Kirby said that Biden will meet with foreign leaders on Wednesday.
Biden also plans to host a summit of a coalition to address synthetic drug threats, including the supply chain of illegal fentanyl. Republicans have often accused him of not doing enough to address the problem as part of a strategy on the US-Mexico border.
Other Keynote speakers are expected at the General Assembly Including the new president of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian; President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky; Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority; and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.
Biden administration officials have been involved in talks between Israel and Hamas on a cease-fire deal for months, although progress has slowed. Defense Ministry spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters last week: “We don’t believe the deal will collapse. We believe that this is the best way to end the war in Gaza and reduce tensions in the region.” Still, there have been no signs of progress in the talks recently.
Biden kicked off a week of global meetings Saturday near Wilmington, Delaware, where he hosted the leaders of Australia, India and Japan. A security group known as the Quad.
Although officials say the Quad is not targeting any one country, and China was not explicitly mentioned in the statement by the four leaders. joint statement Secretary of State after the summit Anthony Blinken He began the closed meeting by saying, “Our first topic of discussion is China.”
“China continues to be aggressive, it continues to test us throughout the region,” Biden said later in comments that hit the hot microphones briefly after he ushered reporters out of the room.
The Biden administration’s policy toward China, the world’s second-largest economy, has been to “manage responsibly” competition. to promote diplomatic contact to avoid conflict in what is often described as the world’s most important bilateral relationship.
Asked about Blinken and Biden’s comments on Monday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said the US was “lying through its teeth” when it said it was not targeting China and that groups like the Quad undermine regional peace and stability.
During the summit, Biden announced various initiatives, including a “bear of cancer” partnership with other countries to save lives in the Indo-Pacific region.
Biden also faces continued criticism from GOP lawmakers over the chaotic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in 2021. Congressional Republicans investigating the withdrawal were recently released. sharp report with their findings. On the other hand, the administration and Democrats blamed Trump for what happened during the withdrawal.
Tara Prindiville contributed.