Trump mocks UN, says not working for peace

U.S. President Donald Trump launched a sarcasm-laden broadside against the United Nations Tuesday, saying the institution does not help peace and mocking the quality of the headquarters building.

"The U.N. has such tremendous potential. I've always said it -- it has such tremendous, tremendous potential. But it's not even coming close to living up to it," Trump said in an address in which he complained about a broken escalator at the New York headquarters.

On Gaza, he said that recognition by a slate of Washington's allies of a Palestinian state was a "reward" to armed group Hamas for "horrible atrocities."

"This would be a reward for (Hamas') horrible atrocities, including October 7, even while they refuse to release the hostages or accept a ceasefire," Trump said in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

Trump also demanded that European allies immediately stop buying oil from Russia and accused China and India of funding the Ukraine war through their purchases.

"They have to immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia. Otherwise we're all wasting a lot of time," Trump noted.

He accused the United Nations Tuesday of "funding an assault" against the West by supporting mass migration, alleging the organization had backed illegally entry into the United States.

"The United Nations is funding an assault on Western countries and their borders," he said addressing world leaders at the U.N.'s annual high-level event, pointing to cash support the organization had supplied to in-need migrants.

"The U.N. is supporting people that are illegally coming into the United States."

 

He bluntly said that European allies were going to "hell" because of immigration as he touted his own hardline crackdown.

"It's time to end the failed experiment of open borders," Trump said at the General Assembly.

"Your countries are going to hell," he said, also attacking London's Mayor Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital.


AFP