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President Joe Biden gave the final address of his presidency at the annual gathering of the United Nations General Assembly. In his speech, he shared his diplomatic achievements, goals, and the reality of wars in the Middle East, including Ukraine and Sudan.
This speech was intended to increase the fame of his foreign policy legacy in front of global leaders and an audience. Some individuals consider it one of Biden’s few remaining opportunities.
The main point of his speech was what the administration considers its most important achievement. This includes aiding Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s 2022 invasion, dealing with competition with China, lifting the UN Charter, stressing the global artificial intelligence (AI) principles, and struggling with humanitarian challenges in Gaza and Sudan.
On Monday, a senior administration official said, “This is Biden’s last General Assembly speech; it’s an opportunity for him to share how this strategy has generated results, real achievements for the American people and folks all over the world.”
However, given Biden’s speech background, there was little time for victory rounds. Right after Biden’s last UNGA speech in September 2023, the Ukraine and Sudan wars continued, and on the other hand, the long-simmering tensions in the Middle East flared into deadly conflicts.
Half the end of the year, Israel launched a large military operation in Gaza in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack. The Middle East seems on the edge of an all-out regional war.
Hostages abducted by Hamas in the attack are either dead or still in captivity. Tens of thousands of people in Gaza have been killed or injured, and Palestinians are facing a dire humanitarian catastrophe.
However, the Biden administration has repeatedly stressed its commitment to a ceasefire and hostage discussions.
Meanwhile, two and a half years into Ukraine’s war with Russia, some congressional Republicans publicly oppose continuing to send US armaments to Ukraine as it fights battle after battle with no clear road forward.
The civil war in Sudan has been underway for over a year, with new ceasefire talks in the early stages as the humanitarian circumstances grow direr.
In his speech on Tuesday, Biden shared his strategy for meeting these challenges. He stressed the need for “Solid and effective global organization and institutions, including an adapted UN.”
“This is his primary vision for counties working in collaborations,” stated the officials. “A theme of his presidency and an important part of his legacy,”
Biden also has a full calendar of high-level meetings to figure out the waves of geopolitical issues behind closed doors.
The administration official stated, “This is one of the core advantages of the UN General Assembly. You literally have the completed world here.” The official was allowed to preview the president’s agenda anonymously.
On Sept. 21, Biden hosted a meeting in his hometown of Wilmington, Del., with the leadership of Australia, India, and Japan.
Following Monday, Biden met with United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Washington. Following his last speech on Tuesday in New York, Biden will plan a summit on the ongoing struggles to fight against the trafficking of synthetic drugs.
According to the White House, he will meet with President TôLâm of Vietnam on Wednesday. On Thursday, Biden will host Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Washington.
As Biden prepares to leave office, foreign leaders are scheduling meetings with his probable successors, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, the two major party hopefuls in November’s presidential election.
Harris met with the UAE President on Monday and will meet with Zelenskyy in Washington on Thursday.
According to campaign sources, Trump is also expected to meet with Zelenskyy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Polish President Andrzej Duda.