World Leaders Return to UN as Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan Wars Dominate Agenda
World leaders gather at the UN as the wars in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan, AI risks and pressure on the global organization dominate the 2026 General Assembly.
Raja Awais Ali
9/20/20264 min read
World Leaders Return to UN as Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan Wars Dominate Agenda
Almost 130 heads of state and government are set to arrive in New York for the United Nations General Assembly this week, with the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, the conflict in Sudan, artificial intelligence and the future of the UN itself dominating the docket. The 81st session opens as the international system faces increased political and financial pressures and great powers grapple with responses to existential challenges.
US President Donald Trump is set to return to the General Assembly for the second consecutive year, with his appearance likely to be one of the most anticipated events. After more than a year in office, Washington has significantly reduced its contributions to the UN system and withdrawn from dozens of agencies, calling for deep cuts and reforms to the multilateral system while demanding concessions from allies. The US paid $725 million toward the UN regular budget this week, allowing it to retain its voting rights, but still owes the organization more than $1 billion.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend the meeting in New York, however, as he is due to hold direct talks with Trump in Washington on Thursday. Jinping has not addressed the UN in person since 2021, and his absence adds to the attention on the role of the UN as great powers increasingly turn to direct diplomacy to deal with sensitive international issues.
At the same time, the UN is also due to see a transition at the top, as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s mandate expires at the end of 2026, with no likely successor yet apparent. The Security Council is set to have a rare confrontation on Thursday on the situation in Ukraine, artificial intelligence, and the Middle East, with possible meetings with Arab leaders.
Another issue set to dominate the agenda of the 2026 General Assembly is artificial intelligence, where business leaders have called for a pause in development, warning that systems that can perform tasks previously requiring human intelligence will soon become too powerful to control. Guterres has also called for international agreements on AI, arguing that competition between nations for technological supremacy will have dangerous consequences for humanity. UN officials have established an advisory board on AI in 2023, with technology executives, government officials, and scientists.
The issue has also raised questions about the relationship between Trump and Guterres, who has accused the US president of promoting “hoax” about artificial intelligence, saying that fears of AI takeover are designed to benefit China. The debate at the UN General Assembly will include not only the opportunities presented by AI but also the need to regulate its risks.
The Middle East is also set to be a major topic of discussion at the 2026 General Assembly, as the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to threaten energy supplies and contribute to inflation. The conflict has also impacted the security of maritime shipping, as recent attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen have made the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait a vulnerable point. Further disruptions to traffic through the region would further exacerbate energy prices and trade.
Guterres has warned that a military response to Houthi attacks will be extremely complicated, given the lessons learned in Yemen. The UN special envoy to Yemen is due to brief the Security Council on efforts to broker a peace deal, as hostilities in the country continue to undermine attempts at a wider settlement. At the same time, fighting between Iran and the US, as well as renewed attacks by Trump, threaten to widen the confrontation.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will speak to the General Assembly on Wednesday, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to address the meeting on Thursday. Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will once again be unable to attend the event in person, after his visa was denied by the US. The UN General Assembly gave Abbas permission to speak by videolink.
Another issue set to be discussed at the 2026 UN General Assembly is the war in Sudan, which has triggered both humanitarian and political crises. Delegates are set to hold a high-level meeting on the situation in Sudan on the sidelines of the General Assembly. The international community is due to focus on pressuring the warring factions into a humanitarian ceasefire and launching negotiations, although recent diplomatic efforts have shown little result, with drone attacks and fighting undermining the fragile infrastructure.
The situation in Ukraine will also be a major topic of discussion at the UN General Assembly, as Russia’s invasion enters its fifth year. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will both address the General Assembly, with Zelenskiy likely to reiterate his calls for global support for Ukraine. The war has already placed enormous strain on the international system, with millions of Ukrainians displaced and disrupted energy and food supplies.
The UN Security Council has proved powerless to end the fighting, as veto threats by Russia ensured that no resolution condemning the invasion was adopted. Trump has criticized his predecessors for their inability to resolve the Ukraine conflict, naming it as one of his campaign priorities. The issue has also dominated his recent talks with Putin, and it remains to be seen whether a meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy will take place in New York.
The war in Ukraine has also had severe consequences for the planet, with Guterres noting the effects on climate change, food insecurity, and energy prices. The UN secretary-general has criticized the closure of the Black Sea by Russia, which has worsened the global food crisis by restricting grain exports. Guterres has called for the establishment of safe corridors to ensure the freepassage of Ukrainian and Russian grain, fertilizers, and energy.
The 2026 UN General Assembly will take place at a critical moment for international relations, with leaders set to discuss wars, food, and energy security, artificial intelligence, and the future of the UN itself. The confrontations in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as the violence in Sudan, are set to dominate the docket, with diplomats seeking to advance negotiations and humanitarian assistance while also addressing broader strategic issues.
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