US reveals Trump's first speech at the United Nations?

Mr Trump plans to “slap” his enemies in the face and “hug” his allies, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said.

The first speech before nearly 200 heads of state at the United Nations (UN) tomorrow (September 19, US time) is also the "debut" of US President Donald Trump at the agency he often criticizes. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley revealed: "The President will slap the right person, hug the right person and he will be very strong."

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley and National Security Adviser HR McMaster outlined the goals for President Donald Trump's speech at the UN this week. Photo: AP

When he was elected President of the United States, Donald Trump once said that the UN was “just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time.” Therefore, world leaders are very curious to see how the “unpredictable” US president will “appear” at the UN General Assembly. Trump’s team is also aware of that.

North Korea is the focus but Iran is no less important

“They’re all very excited to hear what he has to say,” said US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. “And I think he’s going to have a pretty significant impact.”

“For a lot of world leaders, this is their first opportunity to meet him, assess him and try to get on his good side,” said Jon Alterman, vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

As for President Donald Trump, his first speech to the UN General Assembly, arguably his biggest moment on the international stage since taking office, is also a test of his “America First” agenda on global issues, from climate change to North Korea, Iran, Syria…

Ambassador Nikki Haley assured that the US approach at this meeting will be "firm" and "strong" in the context of top US diplomats and officials addressing global challenges.

Haley and National Security Adviser HR McMaster outlined the goals for President Donald Trump's speech to the United Nations this week, where he is expected to urge countries to join the United States in curbing the nuclear and missile programs of both North Korea and Iran.

“There will be no shortage of issues, with North Korea being front and center,” Haley said. “Iran will be an issue, Syria will certainly be discussed, and terrorism and how we stop it is a big topic.”

While the UN Security Council has just passed a US-drafted resolution to impose new sanctions on North Korea, the Trump administration is also reviewing whether Iran will comply with the nuclear deal with the P5+1 group (including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) before October 15. Mr. Trump has clearly not given up on withdrawing from the agreement, which the remaining members of the P5+1 group consider extremely important.

“I personally think he will slap the right people, hug the right people, and show a very strong America at the end,” Ambassador Haley shared after reading a draft of President Donald Trump's speech.

Will Trump "both punch and rub" the United Nations?

Once a fierce critic of the UN, Mr Trump now faces the challenge of convincing the body to side with his agenda on a range of global issues.

It is “a new day” at the UN, Ambassador Haley asserted. “The UN has changed in recent months, from talking to doing,” Haley told reporters at a White House press briefing. Haley said the UN is no longer “focusing on semicolons” in “toothless, clawless” resolutions but has begun to take stronger action, citing the latest sanctions on North Korea.

“No one is going to just smile and talk anymore,” Haley said of the handshake photos. “America is going to act. This is a time to get serious, to talk about the challenges and make sure that there is action to address them.”

President Donald Trump will also continue to push the message of “reform,” calling for more “transparency and accountability” at the UN, said National Security Adviser HR McMaster. “Of course, the UN has enormous potential to realize its founding ideals, but only if it is made more effective,” McMaster said.

Previous US administrations have pushed for change at the UN, but Donald Trump has called for a cut in US funding to the body, complaining that the US contributes 22% of the UN budget and nearly 30% of its peacekeeping.

“I think foreign leaders expect Mr Trump to have some harsh words for the UN,” said Richard Gowan, a UN expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations. “But they will tolerate that if he balances it with some positive messages about cooperation, and especially if he emphasizes that he wants to promote diplomatic solutions to some of the major crises.”

The Trump administration is also considering scaling back diplomatic fees at this year’s UN summit. Trump officials have described the move as a cost-saving measure, but the move suggests more.

“I think it’s a sign that the United States views the UN General Assembly as much less important than it did under President Obama,” Gowan said. “That opens the door for other leaders like [French President] Emmanuel Macron to step up and say that they’re actually going to be more effective at leading the UN from now on.”