Biden joins leaders of Ukraine and Iran in addressing the UN General Assembly as global woes multiply

The leaders of the U.S., Ukraine and Iran were set to address the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday as the world faces multiple deepening crises.

President Biden and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fiercely denounce Russia’s ongoing invasion as the worst threat to peace and security in a generation.

“This war is about extinguishing Ukraine’s right to exist as a state, plain and simple, and Ukraine’s right to exist as a people,” the American president said. “Whoever you are… that should make your blood run cold.”

Scores of world leaders may agree, especially since many live in the shadows of more powerful hostile neighbors. But they are also worried about a slew of other pressing issues, like a possible looming global recession spurred by spiking fuel and food prices.

And climate change remains an existential crisis for the world and particularly some of the small island nations whose leaders will also grace the podium at the UN building on New York’s East Side.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi will likely focus on making progress toward easing sanctions against the Islamic Republic and perhaps jumpstarting the 2015 nuclear deal with other world powers.

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy was set to speak via video as his country continues to fight to repel a Russian invasion that shows no signs of ending soon.

Zelenskyy was granted permission to speak on tape due to the 7-month-old war that has sparked widespread condemnation by the nearly 150 world leaders who descended on New York for the annual event after a COVID pandemic hiatus.

The war in the heart of Europe is front and center for the world body as it has already caused a global spike in food and energy prices, which could in turn plunge the world economy into a recession.The invasion has also raised fears of a nuclear disaster as fighting rages near Europe’s largest nuclear plant near the front lines in partially Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.

Zelenskyy is sure to denounce the impact of the war on the world and especially his independent former Soviet nation.

He will also seek to rally support behind the principle that nations should have the right to live without fear of attack from larger more powerful neighbors, a credo that is at the core of the UN’s mission.

Russian strongman Vladimir Putin will skip the UN gathering for the third straight year. Aside from avoiding confrontations over the invasion, Putin is known to be wary of being exposed to COVID at such a large gathering.

Hours before Zelenskyy’s speech on Wednesday, Putin ordered a partial mobilization of reservists in Russia in an effort to bolster his invasion forces after a string of humiliating defeats in Ukraine.

Leaders from scores of other countries are hoping to prevent a wider conflict and prevent the conflict from spreading to other flashpoints in Europe, with some like Turkey positioning themselves as neutral arbiters.

But there is little hope for progress towards an end to the hostilities as both sides are determined to make progress on the battle field before coming to the table with meaningful compromise proposals.

Biden’s address on Wednesday is also expected focus heavily on the war in Ukraine, where the country’s troops in recent weeks have retaken control of large stretches of territory in the northeast.

On another issue, the UN meeting comes as Biden’s administration seeks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal appear stalled.

The nuclear deal, which was brokered by former President Barack Obama and scrapped by former President Donald Trump in 2018, provided billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for Iran’s agreement to dismantle much of its nuclear program and open its facilities to international inspection.

Since the U.S. pulled out of the deal, Tehran has kickstarted its nuclear program and stands on the brink of being able to produce nuclear weapons.

But progress towards a new deal has been painfully slow and there is little hope for a breakthrough at the general assembly.

Despite the array of seemingly intractable problems, some leaders saw signs of hope as the UNGA returned fully in person as the pandemic eases.

“For each and every one of us, the U.N. is a unique platform for dialogue and for cooperation,” Swiss President Ignazio Cassis said.

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spoke of his country being an “optimistic” nation for whom “solutions are within our collective grasp.”

“As humanity strives to defend freedom and build lasting peace, the U.N.’s role is indispensable,” said South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

With News Wire Services