Donald Trump Returns to the U.N. Amid a Changing Global Order

 Donald Trump Returns to the U.N. Amid a Changing Global Order

Trump Is Heading Back to the UN, and the World He's Walking Into Looks Very Different

Hey everyone! Grab a cup of tea, because this week's biggest diplomatic story is a big one.

Donald Trump returns to the UN General Assembly in New York this Tuesday. He'll be speaking to a deeply skeptical audience that is increasingly rattled by six months of war between US forces and Iran. The mood is very different from last year's. middle-east-online

The "interregnum" idea

A recent New Yorker piece says people in Washington's foreign-policy circles have started calling this era an "interregnum": the old US-led order is fading, but a new post-American one hasn't been born yet. It also argues that close US allies now feel they need to hedge their bets, and that China is neither equipped nor especially interested in filling the gap. politicalwirepoliticalwire

That's a pointed take, not the only one. But it explains why this UN visit is getting so much attention.

A lot has changed in a year

Last time, Trump talked up the bombing of Iran's nuclear sites and said he had brought peace between Israel and Iran. This year the picture is messier. Iran has been obstructing oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, and Houthi gains near a Red Sea chokepoint have added pressure on global energy prices. Most European and Asian allies have also turned down his requests for help in the conflict. Trump returns to UN with Middle East bind tightening +2

The UN has its own problems

The organization is dealing with money troubles too. One report says UN arrears are above $4 billion, with a $725 million US payment pledged but not yet sent, and a race underway to succeed Secretary-General António Guterres. His term ends in December. streamlinefeed

Two ways of looking at it

The critics' view: Stewart Patrick of the Council on Foreign Relations argues that many UN members no longer see the US as a natural leader or reliable partner, and some are looking to China instead. cfr

The administration's view: The White House has long argued that "globalist" institutions have weakened the world order. Early in his second term, Trump pulled the US out of UN bodies on global health and human rights and cut humanitarian funding. UN critics, Israel among them, tend to welcome that message, while most members still see the forum as valuable. Trump set to take combative stance at United Nations: 5 things to know +2

What to watch on Tuesday

• The tone: will he double down on criticizing the UN, or offer a more positive agenda?
• The Middle East: how he talks about Iran and the Red Sea, and whether he wins any support.
• The reaction: whether allies hedge quietly or say so openly.
• The bigger picture: who succeeds Guterres, and whether the money gets sorted out.

Whatever you think of Trump or the UN, this week will show a lot about where global politics is heading. I'll be watching, and I hope you will too.