Trump assails UN in fiery General Assembly speech, slams global institutions

US President Donald Trump offered up a litany of grievances in a combative speech at the UN that called on the global community to end “failed approaches”, stop supporting renewable energy and recognise that “I have ended seven unendable wars”.

Addressing the world’s foremost diplomatic body with his characteristically undiplomatic rhetoric, Trump touted his record of revitalising US fortunes and said his nation has the “greatest weapons on earth” that it would rather not deploy.

“Not only is the UN not solving the problems it should, too often it’s also creating new problems for us to solve,” said Trump in the cavernous General Assembly hall in New York, slamming its support for refugees and migrants. “The UN is supposed to stop invasions, not create them and not finance them.”

His speech, watched by representatives from some 193 UN member countries on the body’s 80th anniversary, comes as the mercurial president makes little secret of his distrust of “globalists”, salvoes that have strengthened China’s reputation as a steady hand in support of multilateralism.

“I’d like to speak my mind and speak the truth,” he said as he sharply criticised Europe for supporting Ukraine against Russia while buying Russian oil. “Those big windmills are so pathetic,” he added. “They rust and rot.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacts while listening to Trump’s speech at the 80th UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

In his speech, Trump underscored how “globalist institutions” and the “sleepy Joe Biden administration” have undermined the world order, weakened the United States and that his leadership heralded a “golden age” that made America the “hottest country in the world”.

South China Morning Post