U.S. foreign relations to be on full display at UN General Assembly in NYC

Nearly 200 leaders from around the world are flocking to New York City this week for the United Nations General Assembly. The annual gathering, referred to as UNGA, takes place Monday through Friday at United Nations headquarters.
While the event is themed around “poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion,” many are expecting U.S. policy to also take center stage.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Afghani President Ashraf Ghani are all expected to attend. Their attendance means everything from rising tension in the Middle East to concern about a so-called whistleblower complaint may be up for discussion.
While speaking ahead of the event Sunday, President Trump said “nothing is ever off the table” when asked whether he will be meeting with Iran.
“Nothing’s ever off the table completely, but I have no intention of meeting with Iran,” he stated. “That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen…I’m a very flexible person, but we have no intention.”

President Donald Trump talks with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, as he prepares to board Marine One for the short trip to Andrews Air Force Base. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

When asked about the whistleblower leak, President Trump said foreign leaders should have a right to privacy.
“The problem is when you’re speaking to foreign leaders, you don’t want foreign leaders to feel that they shouldn’t be speaking openly and you have to be talking to people, and the same thing for an American president,” he explained. “You want them to be able to express themselves without knowing that not every single word is going to be going out and going out all over the world.”
This comes ahead of planned talks between President Trump and the leader of Ukraine, which are expected to take place sometime on or before Wednesday.
In regard to Afghanistan, President Trump will come face-to-face with President Ashraf Ahani just weeks after the collapse of U.S.-Taliban peace talks. Negotiations fell apart earlier this month due a surge in violence from the insurgent group.
No official meetings between President Trump and Iran or Afghanistan have been scheduled, however, all eyes are expected to remain on the General Assembly as talks may unfold on the sidelines. Moving forward, President Trump is only slated to attend Monday through Wednesday.