At the UN General Assembly, President Trump blasted China and India as funders of Russia’s war, vowed to free Hamas’ hostages, and dismissed premature recognition of a Palestinian state.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a fiery address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, taking aim at both global rivals and allies while underlining his support for Israel in its war against Hamas.
The speech began awkwardly when Trump complained of a faulty teleprompter, but quickly turned combative. He accused China and India of being “the primary funders of the Ukraine war,” fueling Russia’s invasion through continued trade and energy ties. Trump repeated his oft-used claim of having “stopped seven wars” since returning to office, casting himself as the world’s peace negotiator-in-chief.
On the Middle East, Trump zeroed in on Hamas’ continued captivity of 48 hostages in Gaza, about 20 believed alive, declaring that securing their release remains Washington’s top priority. He dismissed international recognition of a Palestinian state—led by France, the UK, Canada, and Australia this week—as “talk without action,” insisting such moves reward Hamas rather than advancing peace.
Trump’s message resonated with Israel, which has condemned the wave of recognitions as diplomatic appeasement of terror in the wake of Hamas’ October 7 massacre.
The president’s day is packed with high-stakes meetings. He is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as Argentina’s libertarian leader Javier Milei, one of Trump’s strongest allies abroad. The U.S. Treasury signaled support for Buenos Aires this week, calling Argentina “a systemically important U.S. ally in Latin America.”
As world leaders gather for the 79th UNGA session, the focus remains firmly on two wars—Israel’s fight against Hamas in Gaza, and Ukraine’s defense against Russia. Alongside Trump, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and French President Emmanuel Macron are also addressing the assembly today.
For Trump, the speech served as both a rebuke of “globalist decay” and a reaffirmation of his doctrine: hostages before Palestinian statehood, security before symbolism, and American strength above all.
