Trump and Xi meet at White House as UN faces funding crisis
U. S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the White House, where they discussed bilateral issues as the United Nations grappled with a funding shortfall and questions about its relevance, Reuters reported. Earlier in the week, Trump addressed the United Nations General Assembly, emphasizing peace initiatives, regional security and Iran’s nuclear program, NBC News said. He also defended Israel and warned that Iran would never acquire a nuclear weapon, Fox News reported. At the same assembly, several heads of state called for the appointment of a woman as the next UN secretary-general, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin, CNN noted.
Prior to his speech, Trump was scheduled to meet Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, leaders from the United Kingdom and Japan, and officials from Gulf states, ABC News reported. NewsNation added that the meeting coincided with Iran’s statement that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until U. S. demands were met and that Xi Jinping arrived in New York for a state visit. NPR indicated that Trump sought diplomatic successes ahead of the midterm elections despite facing legal setbacks and recent disputes with media outlets.
