The News
US President Joe Biden used his final UN speech Tuesday to defend the foreign policy achievements of his decades-long political career and urge the world not to “grow weary” in the face of global conflict.
At a UN General Assembly meeting in New York overshadowed by wars raging on three continents, Biden emphasized that the world is at “an inflection point in our history,” with Israel and Hamas yet to agree a ceasefire deal, hostilities rising rapidly between Israel and Lebanon, a humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan, and Ukraine embroiled in fighting “Putin’s war.”
“We cannot grow weary,” the president, who is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately from the UN meeting on Thursday, told the UN. “We cannot look away. We will not let up on our support for Ukraine. Not until Ukraine wins a just and durable peace.”
SIGNALS
Biden’s legacy might be both a ‘bang and a whimper’
With the Middle East on the brink of all-out war, and Ukraine still embroiled in conflict two years on from Russia’s invasion, Biden’s legacy is in jeopardy, the Financial Times wrote. As the November election approaches, the US president is “skirt[ing] tough decisions” once again by seeking to appease Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leaving him “stuck in a groove that is predictably counter-productive,” the newspaper argued. The US’ defense of Ukraine — Biden’s “most prized foreign policy legacy” — has left the country handicapped as he refuses to commit to authorizing the use of long-range missiles. If the conflict in the Middle East escalates and Trump wins the election, Biden’s presidency might go out with “both a bang and a whimper.”
Zelenskyy meeting comes amid ‘crucial period’ for Ukraine
Biden’s Thursday meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy comes at a pivotal moment, with Kyiv “facing a crucial period in its battle to repel Russian invaders,” military historian Max Boot wrote in the Washington Post. Ukraine is facing a long winter, with Russian attacks on infrastructure likely to make power cuts necessary for four to eighteen hours per day, according to a UN report which warned that new attacks could be “catastrophic”. Kyiv also faces warning foreign support, with Germany — the EU’s largest donor — signaling a desire to reduce aid by 2026, while the US’ April $61 billion aid package will likely run out by the end of the year. Zelenskyy’s most pertinent request, however, will be to seek Biden’s permission to use long-range missiles that can strike deep into Russian territory, which he has so far refused over fears of escalating the conflict. Though Vice President Kamala Harris has indicated that she is staunchly supportive of Ukraine, a Donald Trump presidency could leave Ukraine in “especially dire shape,” Boot wrote.