World Leaders Convene at UN Amid Crises and Trump Pressure

World leaders are gathering in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, with nearly 130 heads of state attending. The session opens as the post-World War Two order faces strain from widening conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, alongside growing concerns over artificial intelligence risks.

The UN is struggling to remain relevant while weathering sustained pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who returns to the rostrum for a second consecutive year. Trump has slashed American contributions and withdrawn from dozens of UN bodies since taking office.

“The UN may not be in emergency care like it was last year, but it seems to be trapped in a trauma center for the foreseeable future.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping will skip the assembly, opting instead for bilateral talks with Trump in Washington on Thursday. His absence fuels debate over the UN's capacity to address global crises without major power engagement.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres completes his term at the end of 2026, with no clear frontrunner to succeed him. The leadership vacuum compounds a crisis of morale and finance, according to diplomats and analysts.

The United States avoided losing its General Assembly vote by paying $725 million toward the regular budget this week. However, Washington still owes the organization more than $1 billion and continues to demand cuts and structural reforms.

The UN Security Council may hold high-level meetings on Ukraine, artificial intelligence, and the Middle East, including talks with Arab leaders. AI industry leaders recently warned the technology could soon improve autonomously and escape human control, prompting calls for coordinated guardrails.