Trump set for whirlwind UN meetings with wars in Iran, Ukraine on agenda

Donald Trump is set for a whirlwind schedule of meetings with leaders from four continents at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, against the backdrop of the wars in Ukraine and Iran that show no signs of abating.

Trump is expected to start the day with a speech to assembled delegates, before meeting with no fewer than 11 world leaders, bilaterally or in group settings. While the contents of his speech are unknown, Trump last year caused a stir with a combative speech with his policies on climate policy and mass migration.

Later in the day, Trump will meet with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and delegations from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.

In the evening, he may meet dozens more leaders, albeit briefly, during a leaders' reception. Trump met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday. Additions to his Tuesday schedule are possible.

The long list of foreign leader meetings reflects the US president's focus on foreign affairs during his second term, during which he has started multiple wars, questioned longstanding alliances, threatened allies with invasion and sought to broker well over a dozen conflicts, with mixed success.

The US-Israeli war against Iran has been particularly consequential, driving up fuel prices globally, dragging down Trump's approval ratings and presenting a challenge for Republicans running in the November congressional midterm election. On Monday, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump's approval rating falling to an all-time low of 32 per cent, as his fellow Republicans soured on his handling of the cost of living.

Among the closely watched meetings will be the seven-way gathering with the Gulf leaders, many of whom are alarmed by the recent advances of the Houthis on the Bab el-Mandab Strait.

Political allies and opponents will also be closely watching Trump's first-ever meeting with Venezuela's Rodriguez, who rose to power with the Trump administration's blessing after US forces snatched President Nicolas Maduro in January and took him to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

Trump's allies say the US is working with Rodriguez to open Venezuela's oil sector to US investment, but Democrats and some Republicans say his administration has not done enough to press for new elections in the South American nation.

During the meeting with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland, its overseas territory, Trump will ink an accord designed to increase US military presence on the island while limiting that of geopolitical adversaries. Danish and Greenland officials hope the accord will put an end to Trump's past comments suggesting he might take Greenland by force.