President Joe Biden will address the United Nations General Assembly for the final time as commander in chief on Tuesday morning, against the backdrop of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and growing global concern about China’s influence.
His speech comes against the backdrop of the final phase of the presidential election before Election Day, knowing that his successor – Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump – will face the same challenges in the White House and may handle them very differently.
These are also Biden’s first remarks before the General Assembly since Hamas’ October attack on Israel and the ensuing conflict in Gaza that has killed thousands of civilians. He will speak to leaders of other countries as hopes for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have faded.
As Israel continues its battle with Hamas, the conflict with the Iran-backed Hezbollah has also escalated in recent days. On Monday, Israel launched airstrikes on neighboring Lebanon, killing nearly 500 people and wounding more than 1,600, the government said, in the deadliest day of conflict with Israel in Lebanon since 2006. Israel also issued evacuation warnings to people living in the northern region to escape violence near the border.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters last week that Biden in New York will “assert America’s leadership on the global stage” and “organize global action to address the world’s most pressing challenges.” Those, he said, include climate change, artificial intelligence, the opioid epidemic and the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.
As for his speech Tuesday morning, “the President will deliver a speech before the UN General Assembly laying out his vision for how the world must come together to solve these major problems and defend fundamental principles like the UN Charter,” Kirby said.
Kirby said Biden will meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to “discuss how the partnership between the United States and the United Nations in advancing peace and protecting human rights can continue and flourish.” Kirby said Biden will meet with foreign leaders on Wednesday.
Biden will also host a summit of a coalition to address synthetic drug threats, including the supply chain of illicit fentanyl. Republicans have frequently accused him of not doing enough to address the problem as part of the strategy at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Other key speakers expected at the General Assembly include Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Biden administration officials have been negotiating a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas for months, though progress appears to have slowed. Defense Department spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters last week: “We don’t believe the deal is falling apart. We believe this is the best way to end the war in Gaza and reduce tensions in the region.” Still, there has been no sign of a breakthrough in the talks recently.
Biden opened the week of international meetings in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, where on Saturday he hosted the leaders of Australia, India and Japan for a meeting of a security organization known as the Quad.
While officials say the Quad is not focused on any particular country and China was not explicitly mentioned in the four leaders’ joint statement after the summit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken began the closed-door meeting by saying, “Our first topic of conversation is China.”
Biden then said, “China continues to behave aggressively and test us across the region,” in comments that were briefly overheard by hot microphones after reporters were escorted from the room.
The Biden administration’s policy toward China, the world’s second-largest economy, is aimed at “responsibly managing” competition and promoting diplomatic engagement 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 spokesperson said the US is “lying through its teeth” when it says it is not targeting China and that groups like the Quad are undermining peace and stability in the region.
During the summit, Biden announced several initiatives, including a “cancer moonshot” partnership with other countries to save lives in the Indo-Pacific region.
Biden also faces continued criticism from GOP lawmakers over the chaotic 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Congressional Republicans who investigated the withdrawal recently released a scathing report of their findings. The administration and Democrats, by contrast, have largely blamed Trump for what happened during the withdrawal.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
