In the wake of President Trump’s fiery September 23 address to the UN General Assembly—where he lambasted the institution as a purveyor of “empty words” that fail to stop wars, dismissed climate accords as a “con job,” and distanced the U.S. from global cooperation—comes a sharp, unfiltered dissection that cuts through the bluster.
Trump’s Combative UN Tirade
It is becoming increasingly clear that Trump is out to destroy Europe, at least economically, and to load the gun for a six-chamber game of Russian Roulette. Regardless, Trump’s speech at the UN sounds very undiplomatic. Some points were valid, at least in part, but not very good for the UN; they were too off-topic, and he goes against everything the UN is supposed to stand for. And now he claims Ukraine can take back everything up to the old borders. I’m not sure where he gets that from, maybe Kellogg? Or John Bolton, but supposedly he doesn’t like Bolton anymore!
Anyway, here we go again. It is as if nothing has been learned in continuing the war in Ukraine or wanting to start new ones. Donald Trump did not talk ‘mealy-mouthed’ in his in-your-face ‘critical address’ to the General Assembly. He accused the institution of failing to act to solve spiraling conflicts and immigration woes and derided its “empty words” that “don’t solve war.” It is the very wars of choice that have created the instability and fear that have forced so many to become refugees and others to become economic migrants, not to mention the EU and US open doors that made it only too easy.
A Recipe for Escalation in Ukraine and Global Chaos
However, Trump fails to mention that almost every effort to solve problems by the collective UN is met with a US Veto, which is, more often than not, the sole vote against in the UN Security Council. It is as if he thinks he has some claim to fame in being the only person able to stop wars, seven and counting, and in the same breath casting blame for any failures on others.
“All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter,” touting his own peace-making efforts at a moment of heightened strain with U.S. allies over Palestinian statehood, trade, and other flashpoints.
True to form, Trump followed up with other bullet points, describing global warming and other climate concerns as being a “con job,” saying international agreements to reduce global warming were “destroying” much of the free world with demands that industrialized nations disrupt their societies even as the developing ones continue to defy the rules. The chaos and unreliability he is creating may be worse than the worst fears of global warming; however, that will be for future generations to sort out, including the demographic crisis in Ukraine, even if the war were to stop today. One thing is clear: US allies and trading partners are going to be facing hard times for a long time to come!
Pendulum Politics
Trump is doing his usual routine of “pendulum politics,” swinging from one extreme to the other. Unfortunately, it seems that he may have been captured by the Neocons such as Lindsey Graham, but how long this will last we have to wait and see. What is extremely disturbing is how he appears to have given carte blanche to Zelensky for attacks deep inside Russia and for land attacks over the 1991 border.
Both risk further escalation, especially in light of Princess Graham’s insane comments that Russia will now face the latest US weapons. I wonder if they remember how badly the Kursk offensive went. This seems to be a huge case of “cope,” as Trump seems either completely divorced from reality or desperate to keep Ukraine going long enough that he’s not president when the inevitable occurs.
It all fits together, only further confirming why businessmen should never be politicians and how lobbyists and foreign interests should not be deciding US policy. Lindsay Graham, the perfumed princess, would be well advised to remember that all the other US-supplied wunderwaffen were, despite some initial utility, unable to change the course of the fighting before Russia found countermeasures. The point is, the US and those who benefit from the sales of weapons are only worried about keeping the weapons and cash flowing, and never-ending wars mean never-ending profits!
His statements require closer scrutiny, as they are most revealing; they are always conditional—and he very well understands the resolve and abilities of the Europeans, who are still trading with the proclaimed collective enemy and are in no position to place it all on one roll of the dice.
“I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” he posted on his Truth Social platform. He went on to claim that “With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original borders from where this war started are very much an option.”
He knows better than anyone that such collective support is fleeting, and there is no mass public support for a never-ending war that comes at the expense of the European Social Contract, and already we can see from mass protests in old Europe that the people are not standing for it.
It is ironic that Trump included in his message how Russia had been aimlessly fighting in Ukraine for three and one-half years, ‘a war’ that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. However, I guess we have to look around the room for the real power, as it is certainly not the European Union, NATO, or the United States. After all, they spent over 20 years in Afghanistan and Iraq against guerrillas, while the Russians are facing a well-equipped national armed force, one backed up by NATO. I wonder what the REAL motivation is for such a statement, not only in his posting but also in his statements before the UN?
He also qualified his claim that NATO should shoot down Russian aircraft should they enter NATO airspace; however, when pressed by a journalist as to whether the US would back such an action, he said it depended on the circumstances. As in Israel and now Ukraine, apparently Trump wants to see this war ended, and the quicker the better, and by applying indirect rhetoric, he hopes that Putin will get this war over with as soon as possible, full stop!
Zelensky is sure, and is almost convincing, that Trump wants to support Ukraine to the very end. ‘So we understand now that we are ready to finish this war as quickly as possible, and Trump wants, and I want, [Zelensky] and our people want!’ But Putin doesn’t want it, sayeth the ‘Servant of the People!’ It is interesting that he added that Trump and America will be with us to the end of the war!
Not Playing Ball by Trump’s Rules
I am at a loss to understand how Trump thinks any of his statements on Ukraine’s supposed ability to take action match with the reality of the disaster unfolding for Ukraine on the front line. It may well be that Trump’s outburst is a sign of his anger that Putin did not “play ball” and bow to his self-proclaimed genius and charm, and that he intends to provide more support, but it may also be that his statements are intended to push Ukraine into precipitate action that will enable the Russians to destroy what remains of the Ukrainian military in the open field, rather than having to dig them out of cities one by one.
The scariest thought is that it is just a temper tantrum with no thought behind it, one that might result in a disastrous escalation.
At least we can be sure that Europe will save Ukraine; however, at the same time, it might not be able to save itself from an array of failed policies and short-sighted decisions. Trump has effectively walked away, with the fanfare of a podium for a speech, and leaves it to the pundits to make any sense of what he is trying to say, all the while trying to sort out the embedded sarcasm on top of his political double-speech.
Seth Ferris, investigative journalist and political scientist, expert on Middle Eastern affairs
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