Trump's speech at the UN caused embarrassment

U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York yesterday. He was eagerly awaited, especially after his spokeswoman announced that he would "promote the restoration of American strength around the world." However, the speech itself rather caused embarrassment.

The head of the White House claimed that the US is in its golden age thanks to the "historic trade agreements" that followed the introduction of large-scale global tariffs. But the way they are enforced has little to do with the spirit of multilateralism that the UN is trying to promote. Suffice it to recall the coercive policy on Canada, which was called upon to become the 51st American state.

Once again, the evergreen about Trump's ability to end seven wars since taking office was heard, with a critical remark about the incompetence of the UN. However, this is not entirely accurate, which applies to Trump's allegedly important mediating role in extinguishing the further escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan in May. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi rejected Trump's role...

The light at the end of the tunnel is not visible even in the two biggest conflicts of the moment - in Ukraine and Gaza - in which Trump wants to play a decisive role.

But Trump's position on how to resolve conflicts often changes. An analysis by The Washington Post showed that Trump has changed his public stance on the war in Ukraine 19 times. This time, he lashed out at Europe for its inability to cut itself off from Russian energy products.

Other surprises are not ruled out – for example, during the expected next meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia in October.

Trump's policy on the war in Gaza is similarly embarrassing. He simplified the complex problem by arguing that recognition of a Palestinian state would be a reward for the horrific atrocities committed by Hamas. Trump's plan to rebuild Gaza into a new Côte d'Azur, which did not take into account its Palestinian inhabitants, comes to mind.

And it should be added that American policy towards Israel sometimes finds itself in the tow of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which limits Trump's mediating role, especially with Arab countries.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres must have had a hard time listening to the accusation that the UN is pursuing a "globalist migration agenda" and that this world body is financing the attack on member countries.

This sounds ominous as an alibi for further cuts in the financial support of the world organization by the United States. Since Trump's inauguration, it has already lost hundreds of millions of dollars in support for UN peacekeepers, the Americans have left UNESCO, the UN Human Rights Council and the World Health Organization, and they have also withdrawn from the Paris climate agreement.

America first is not good news for the UN either. 

Miloš Balabán, Právo