Washington, DC (VOA) —
After making a historic visit to Vietnam and attending the G20 Summit in India some time ago, US President Joe Biden will again speak to world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York. He plans to raise support for Ukraine, like last year.
“This war aims to eliminate Ukraine’s right to exist as a nation – it’s as simple as that – and Ukraine’s right to exist as a nation,” Biden said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to appear in person in New York to rally support for his country. He will also meet Biden at the White House on Thursday (21/9).
Apart from focusing on Ukraine, Biden must also pay attention to the concerns of Southern countries, which include issues of climate change, poverty, the plight of refugees, inflation and debt reduction.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said, “This is all connected. Because the war – Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine – has had a ripple effect that impacts food security, energy security and other forms of loss to countries around the world. Therefore, ending this war justly, based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, will benefit not only the Ukrainian people, but also everyone everywhere.”
Not to be outdone by Chinese President Xi Jinping who met with Central Asian leaders earlier this year, Biden is also scheduled to hold a high-level conference with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, “We don’t see this as competition with China for influence in these countries. We view it as building on the relationships we already have.”
Biden will hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, including with the next head of the G20, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The US itself has expressed its disapproval of the Netanyahu government’s hardline policies, including plans to overhaul Israel’s justice system, which the opposition says is a threat to Israel’s democracy. (rd/hour)
