Key facts
- World leaders at the UN General Assembly tested new alliances formed without the U.S. at their center.
- Efforts on Ukraine, Iran, and AI highlighted both promise and limitations of these new networks.
- European nations are attempting to fill military and diplomatic gaps left by the U.S. regarding Ukraine.
- Finland and Norway proposed global AI oversight, but the U.S. and China did not endorse the declaration.
- Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey are advancing a new defense compact.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized his country's strong partnership with President Trump.
World leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly this week, testing the strength of new alliances formed to navigate around the Trump administration's policies. While many nations are increasingly vocal about their inability to rely solely on the U.S., the reality of American power remained a central theme.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Spain's Pedro Sanchez, both vocal critics of President Donald Trump, signaled their intent not to meet with him. The gathering occurred amid concerns over U.S. policies impacting Gulf and European allies, particularly regarding Iran, and as Trump faces low domestic popularity and upcoming midterm elections.
Discussions on Ukraine, artificial intelligence, and Iran revealed instances where new global arrangements without direct U.S. leadership showed promise. However, these efforts frequently encountered internal divisions or the undeniable need for Washington's participation to achieve significant action. Allison Minor, who served in senior roles in both the Biden and first Trump administrations, noted that the push for a world not organized by the U.S. is "still a work in progress," with "so much muscle memory, kind of expecting the United States to come in and provide that convening power and direction."
On Ukraine, European nations sought to compensate for perceived unpredictability from the U.S. Tangible outcomes included a deal to resolve the "Greenland scare," a drone agreement between Finland and Ukraine, and a French contract to supply Ukraine with radars and interceptors. Canada's closer ties with the EU were also evident, with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul planning talks in Ottawa. However, these developments were juxtaposed with diplomatic moves from Washington, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio's announcement of an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the upcoming G20 meeting in Miami. This invitation drew criticism from top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas, though it also exposed differing views among allies, with Germany's foreign minister welcoming the idea and Romania's highlighting new U.S. sanctions on Russia.
In AI discussions, Finland and Norway led a declaration for global oversight, endorsed by nearly two dozen countries but notably excluding the U.S. and China. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged global standards for AI testing, warning of potential risks to humanity. However, President Trump dismissed international AI efforts as a "globalist scheme," and key AI developers reportedly opted out. France proposed an open-source AI model from "sovereign States," while the U.K. aimed to set AI principles during its G20 presidency. Despite these initiatives, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed that OpenAI agents had hacked his country's health system.
Signs also emerged of Gulf countries diversifying their risk away from the U.S., with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey discussing the expansion of their defense alliance. France pledged military support to protect Saudi energy facilities. Nevertheless, many nations affected by the Iran conflict remained focused on Trump and his envoys, with one Arab diplomat noting that "everyone knows the U.S. has to be involved and will be involved." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exemplified Middle Eastern leaders heavily reliant on the U.S., thanking Trump for his "bold leadership."
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping bypassed the UN General Assembly to meet directly with President Trump in Washington, underscoring the enduring significance of the U.S.-China relationship, which resulted in a two-month trade truce extension.