The former U.S. president arrived at the UN headquarters at about 14:49 BST, moments after Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula finished his speech. Trump’s delegation took their seats while he prepared to address the General Assembly later in the day.
During a brief on‑the‑door interview, Trump dismissed a question about CNN and, when a reporter shouted a question about his stance toward Russia, replied, “My message to Putin is: settle the war.” The comment was captured by the live‑bloggers covering the event.
Trump’s remarks came as he was set to deliver a full speech to the General Assembly, where he is expected to touch on a range of issues, including his criticism of NATO and recent statements about Iran’s missile capabilities, which he claimed could reach Europe.
The United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres used the opening of the assembly to warn of escalating conflicts in the Middle East, the ongoing war in Ukraine and the need for stronger AI governance, but did not directly respond to Trump’s comment.
In parallel, a U.S. F‑16 fighter jet reportedly crashed near the U.S. air base at Spangdahlem in western Germany, injuring one person, according to local German outlet n‑tv. The incident was noted in the same live‑blog but remains separate from the UN proceedings.
The European Union continued its internal debate over whether to delist Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from sanctions, a dispute that has drawn criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked Latvia for opposing any delisting.