NEW YORK (AP) — Tuesday is Day 1 of the U.N. General Assembly high-level meeting that brings around 150 world leaders together at U.N. headquarters in Manhattan. Among the speakers Tuesday are President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Biden used his morning address to urge world leaders not to let support for Ukraine diminish. He argued Russia is counting on countries to grow tired of prolonged conflict in Kyiv which will “allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence.”
In his 30-minute address, Biden repeatedly emphasized the value of institutions such as the United Nations and international coalitions that has helped the world confront significant challenges such as poverty and disease, as well as echoing his defense of democracy, a common theme of his presidency.
“We will not retreat from the values that make us strong," Biden said. “We will defend democracy — our best tool to meet the challenges that we face around the world. And we're working to show how democracy can deliver in ways that matter to people's lives."
Biden previewed his thinking in a pair of fundraisers in Manhattan on Monday evening, telling supporters that he stood up to Vladimir Putin’s invasion, and questioning whether Trump, the 2024 GOP presidential frontrunner, would have even attempted to help Ukraine stop the Russian land grab.
“I will not side with dictators like Putin. Maybe Trump and his MAGA friends can bow down but I won’t,” Biden told supporters at a Broadway fundraiser.
See the president's full schedule in New York.
Biden is seeking an additional $24 billion in security and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, in line with his promise to help the country for “as long as it takes” to oust Russia from its borders.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy is back in the U.S. for the first time since December. He's expected to speak at the U.N. in the early afternoon.
He began his trip with a stop at Staten Island University Hospital on Monday. The medical facility has, to date, treated 18 Ukrainian military members who lost limbs in the war, said Michael J. Dowling, the CEO of hospital parent company Northwell Health.
With help from a New Jersey-based charity called Kind Deeds, the injured have gotten fitted for prostheses and are undergoing outpatient physical therapy.
Zelenskyy greeted several injured troops as they exercised in a rehab gym. He asked about their wounds, wished them a speedy recovery and thanked them for their service.
“How are you doing? Is it difficult?” Zelenskyy asked one military member, who paused and then said it was OK. “Stay strong,” Zelenskyy replied, later telling the group their country was grateful and proud of them.
Later, in a hospital conference room, he awarded medals to the injured, posed for photos, signed a large Ukrainian flag and thanked medical personnel and the injured troops.
Other key speakers at the U.N. on Tuesday include: Secretary-General António Guterres, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.