Israel's parrots, Cuba's Trump walkout and other UN summit takeaways
At the UN summit, on its sidelines and on social media, world leaders collaborated and clashed against a backdrop of global conflict and tech-driven threats.
Scores of world leaders convened in New York for the UN General Assembly summit. US President Donald Trump addressed the gathering, expressing threats against Iran and rejecting global efforts to regulate AI. Many leaders condemned Israel for actions in Gaza, southern Lebanon, and the West Bank, calling for sanctions or measures against the country.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized Israeli settlements as "bulldozing the path to peace" and raising the specter of ethnic cleansing. French President Emmanuel Macron criticized the "peace" in Gaza, stating that humanitarian access had not improved. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mocked the leaders on X with an AI-generated video featuring parrots at the UN podium.
Other nations, including the UK, Brazil, Türkiye, and Qatar, also criticized Israel. Despite the criticism, the UN did not appear poised to take immediate action against Israel. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for global guardrails on AI, while British Prime Minister Andrew Burnham emphasized the need for the UK to lead G20 discussions on AI.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to Trump on the sidelines about requesting weapons and a potential energy ceasefire. Trump briefly mentioned the Ukraine-Russia war and expressed anticipation of negotiating an energy ceasefire. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel walked out during Trump's speech, later stating that Cuba would continue fighting for peace and sovereignty against US aggression.
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