US President Donald Trump’s first appearance at the UN General Debate in his second term turned into a frontal attack on the United Nations.
Trump warned Western European states of being “overrun.” The influx of migrants continued unabated, he said Tuesday before the UN General Assembly in New York. European politics, however, did nothing about it because of “political correctness.” Trump cited London as a negative example, saying the British capital was unrecognizable due to migration.
“Your countries are going to hell,” Trump told Europeans. In this context, he also mentioned Austria, claiming that “53 percent of prison inmates are not Austrians.” Which numbers he was referring to remained unclear.
No Recognition of Palestine
Trump rejected the recognition of a State of Palestine in his speech. “That would be a reward for Hamas,” he said, referring to the terrorist organization. At the same time, he stressed that the war in Gaza must end immediately and that all remaining hostages there must be released.
He also reaffirmed his view that Russia would not have launched the war against Ukraine if he had been in office at the time. Nevertheless, he emphasized that the ongoing war was not making Russia look good. He repeated his demand that Europeans stop importing Russian energy. If not, he said, he would be prepared to impose punitive tariffs.
Meinl-Reisinger Misses ‘Concrete Proposals’
Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger commented on Trump’s speech through her office: “It is a pity that the majority of Donald Trump’s long speech was devoted to domestic issues of the United States. On issues crucial to the world community, he addressed the need to control weapons of mass destruction and to prevent irregular migration—but without concrete proposals.”
These issues were also important for Austria, she stressed. “Of course, we offer cooperation here. That Donald Trump wants to extend a hand to the UN, as he said, is good,” noted the NEOS politician. However, it was true that the UN was currently not living up to its potential. “Too many states are trampling on the principles of the United Nations. Especially now, cooperation on equal footing and diplomacy are more important than ever.”
Austria is represented at the General Assembly not only by Meinl-Reisinger but also by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP). A key focus of this year’s “high-level week” is the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
