Simultaneously, the administration has expedited its withdrawal from the U.N., significantly reducing its financial contributions to the organization and recently appointing an ambassador. On Friday, a State Department spokesperson urged the U.N. to “return to its core mission, refocusing on its original purpose as an effective mechanism for promoting peace, sovereignty, and freedom.”
The retreat was evident on Sunday and Monday, following France, the U.K., Canada, and Australia officially recognizing a Palestinian state — with additional countries expected to join this week — diverging from Washington’s leadership. Trump “has been very clear about his disagreement with this decision,” Leavitt explained to reporters on Monday in anticipation of his address.
“Honestly, he considers it a concession to Hamas,” she stated, noting that Trump regards the move as “simply more rhetoric and insufficient action” from his Western counterparts.
Trump has encouraged European leaders to enforce significant tariffs on India and China concerning their oil imports to compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to cease the conflict in Ukraine, while the United States has independently instituted severe trade tariffs on India and introduced a new $100,000 fee on new H-1 B visas. Other leaders are engaged in discussions with the administration over the tariff structure.
Trump is also contending with unresolved conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, which he has committed to resolving, a goal that remains frustratingly elusive. Acknowledging his challenges, he recently stated that Putin “really let me down” approximately a month after their meeting in Alaska for talks aimed at making progress.
Michael Waltz, in his inaugural comments as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., cautioned on Monday that Washington anticipates Russia to “explore ways to de-escalate” following airspace violations in Estonia and Poland — both NATO member states. The Senate confirmed Waltz, Trump’s former national security adviser, on Friday.
Trump is also weighing an offer from Putin for a one-year extension to the nuclear weapons treaty with the United States before it expires early next year, Leavitt told reporters.
