Trump’s UN: a hardline approach toward Iran, a tightened posture regarding Venezuela and the Greenland card

Trump’s UN: a hardline approach toward Iran, a tightened posture regarding Venezuela and the Greenland card.

Translated by Anna Maria Guerino

The opening day of the eighty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York saw the U.S. President Donald Trump alternate between threats of annihilation and diplomat overtures towards Iran.

The harsh words he uttered from the podium prompted most of the Iranian delegation to leave the room. Trump showed Iran the two possible alternatives: the rapid destruction of the regime or a reconstruction agreement. 

Trump informed the journalists that an initial “very positive” meeting had taken place between officials from the two countries on the sidelines of the proceedings. Energy and global markets have now been destabilized by this ongoing conflict; however, the president assured that the increase in oil prices will be temporary and that prices are bound to plummet once the hostilities come to an end.

From the UN podium, the U.S. president also attacked Cuba, describing it as a “failed country” on the verge of collapse, while Washington continues to block oil supply.

He also claimed control over one fifth of Venezuela’s oil, using the following expression: “To the victor belong the Spoils”. Precisely for this reason, Trump met for the first time with Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodrìguez, in a summit that highlighted Caracas’ strong dependence on American support to hold its power and keep the opposition away.

Concerning the Ukrainian dossier, President Volodymyr Zelensky tried to preserve a solid alliance with the White House, hoping that the conflict will end by winter.

The Ukrainian president knows how crucial U.S. support is; for this reason, he sought to promote a friendly and cooperative approach. Trump had publicly stated that Russia and Ukraine were ready to sign an agreement aimed at stopping mutual bombardments; however, Zelensky declared that he could not agree to a ban on raids, as Kiev had to defend itself against the Russian threat.

Alongside the Middle Eastern crisis, Trump held a series of crucial bilateral summits and signed a security deal with Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, and Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, aimed at building two American military bases in Greenland.

The picture emerging from the opening day of the General Assembly shows a U.S. strategy based on pressure and unpredictability. As we have seen, Trump is ready to reaffirm U.S. geopolitical centrality and overcome historical rivals, from Iran to Cuba.

While on the one hand this strategy led to the first direct contact with Teheran and to a strong U.S. military presence in Greenland, on the other hand it forces allies to maintain a constant strategic balance in order to preserve Washington’s support, which is necessary to ensure their political survival.

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