Wadephul says ‘last ditch’ nuclear talks planned with Iran
European countries Germany, France and Britain are set to hold talks with Iran behind the scenes at the UN General Assembly.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said a plan to explore “last ditch options” comes as efforts intensify for Iran to avert sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Speaking to journalists, Wadephul struck a realistic tone regarding the talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“It must be clear to everyone that, after all of Iran’s delaying tactics, the possibilities and chances of reaching a diplomatic solution before the sanctions are triggered are extremely slim,” he said.
Continuous attempts have been made to prevent Iran from enriching uranium, due to fears Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons.
However, Iran has maintained its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes.
Last month, Germany, France and Britain triggered a “snapback” sanctions mechanism.
The trio accused Iran of breaching the 2015 Vienna nuclear accord, saying the current levels of uranium enrichment are beyond those needed for civilian purposes.
“Iran has been disregarding its obligations under the Vienna nuclear agreement for years,” Wadephul said. “We have drawn the necessary conclusions from this and triggered the so-called snapback mechanism, which will reinstate international sanctions against Iran at the end of this week.”
Colombia’s Petro calls for ‘criminal process’ against Trump
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro called for a “criminal process” against US President Donald Trump in front of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
He argued that Trump must be investigated for missile strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean.
In a speech that was conducted earlier in the day, Trump vowed to “blow [drug smugglers] out of existence.”
More than a dozen people have died in strikes on at least three vessels in attacks UN experts have described as an “extrajudicial execution.”
Petro suspects some of those killed in the US boat strikes were Colombian and said that if the victims were indeed Colombians, “a criminal process must be initiated against those officials who are from the United States. This includes the senior official who gave the order, President Trump.”
Trump has sent eight warships and a submarine to the southern Caribbean as part of an operation he claims is to combat drug smugglers off the coast of Venezuela.
Zelenskyy tells DW he would nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize if he ‘ends this war’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine would be willing to nominate Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize if the US president could end Russia’s war against his country.
“Trump has a chance to end this war. If he ends it — I’m absolutely sure all Ukrainians will gladly do it [nominate him]. Because it’s an unbelievable mission — to end it,” Zelenskyy said on the fringes of the UN General Assembly.
Speaking about his meeting with Trump at the gathering in New York, Zelenskyy added: “We had a very good meeting today… It’s too early to talk about the details. It was probably the most substantive one.”
When asked whether he would want Zelenskyy to nominate him for the Peace Prize, Trump said: “Why not.”
Trump attacks UN from within, says DW’s Küfner
DW correspondent Michaela Küfner has been attending day one of the General Debate at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Reflecting on the demeanor and speech from Donald Trump earlier, Küfner said the US president “paused on his way to the UN podium to take in the applause.”
Küfner noted how Trump repeated “claims to have ended seven wars and dangled some hope of sanctions against Russia in front of his European allies in the room.”
“In exchange he wants Europe to stop paying Vladimir Putin for exporting energy to the continent,” Küfner added.
Trump attracted a “decent applause” at the end of his speech, prompting many to leave, in the belief they had “heard the most relevant voice,” DW’s chief political editor said.
But Trump cast a dark cloud as he departed the stage, “leaving behind a wounded United Nations — 80 years old and weakened by its inability to reform, it just got a kick by the man who wants to be seen to be the most powerful man in the world,” Küfner concluded.
Zelenskyy says China can push to end Russia’s war in Ukraine
China could pressure Russia to stop its war against Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN Security Council on Tuesday.
“If China truly wanted this war to stop, it could compel Moscow to end the invasion. Without China, Putin’s Russia is nothing,” Zelenskyy told the council.
A permanent member of the Security Council, China is not involved in the war, but Kyiv has criticized Beijing arguing that China has supplied items to Russia that can be used in its war against Ukraine.
China has denied supporting Russia’s war. Deputy Chinese ambassador to the UN, Geng Shuang, said China has been upholding an “objective, impartial position” and advocating for “peace talks towards a political settlement.”
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy hailed a “big shift” in Donald Trump’s position after the US president said Kyiv could win back all the territory captured by Russia.
Macron to meet Iranian president on Wednesday
French President Emmanuel Macron will use the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly as an opportunity to hold discussions with his Iranian counterpart.
Macron said in his speech at the UNGA that he would hold the talks with President Masoud Pezeshkian as efforts continue to avert sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program intensify.
“Either Iran makes a gesture and goes back to the path of peace and accountability that make it possible to get back on course… or sanctions will have to be imposed,” he said.
“I’ll have an occasion to meet with the president tomorrow (Wednesday) on each of these crucial issues.”
Trump says Ukraine ‘can win back territory’ lost to Russia
US President Donald Trump appeared to shift his rhetoric about the war in Ukraine, following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
“After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump wrote in his social media platform Truth Social.
“With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option,” Trump added.
Trump said Russia had been fighting “aimlessly” in a war that a “real military power” would have won in less than a week.
“Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act,” the US president said, adding that he wished both countries well and that the US will “continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them.”
Qatar’s emir denounces Israeli strike on Doha
As the UN General Assembly was underway, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, addressed the Security Council over a recent Israeli strike on Doha.
Israeli warplanes attacked a residential area in the Qatari capital on September 9, hitting the residence of Hamas leaders and their families.
Six people were killed in the attack, including the son of Hamas’ top negotiator and a Qatari security officer.
“No party seeks to assassinate a negotiating delegation except with the aim of thwarting the negotiations,” Tamim told the Security Council.
He called the strike a “treacherous assault” and “a blatant act of state terrorism.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the time that the attack was “fully justified” in response to the October 7 terror attack by Hamas in 2023.
Wadephul tells DW Palestinian state recognition ‘a question of when’
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany’s recognizing of the state of Palestine was “a question of when.”
Speaking to DW’s chief political editor, Michaela Küfner, in New York as the UN marks its 80th anniversary, Wadephul said EU member states “are all united in the goal of a two-state solution” and “only the question of when to recognize the state of Palestine is dividing us.”
Unlike the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France and other Western allies of Israel, Germany has yet to formally recognize Palestinian statehood.
“You know that Germany is reluctant to do this step. It’s more a question of time, of course, because we are engaged in building a Palestinian state, but that needs some time, and that needs especially negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians,” Wadephul said when asked about European allies’ recognition of Palestinian statehood.
On the infringement of Estonian airspace and Denmark’s reports of a drone attack, Wadephul said NATO was standing together “very firmly” and making it clear that “we defend every inch of NATO territory.”
Wadephul said “a flexible response” was always NATO’s strategy.
Erdogan spotlights suffering in Gaza
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used his UN General Assembly address Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza.
“A genocide is continuing in Gaza,” Erdogan said. “Even as we meet here innocent people are dying.”
He said he was speaking “on behalf of the Palestinian people,” who he said had been silenced.
“There is no war in Gaza, there are no two sides. This is an invasion, a genocide, a policy of mass massacre,” he added.
The Turkish leader’s comments come after an independent commission of the UN Human Rights Council found that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly denied such claims.
During his speech, Erdogan held up photos of women waiting for rations, an emaciated child and a street filled with displaced Palestinians.
Trump calls climate change a ‘con job’
US President Donald Trump called renewable energy a “joke” and the idea of man-made climate change “the greatest con job ever.”
Trump made the remarks during a wide-ranging speech to world leaders at the UN General Assembly.
The US leader’s denial of climate change goes against the overwhelming scientific consensus that fossil fuels and climate change are going to have devastating consequences for the environment and for humanity.
Trump also accused other nations of violating rules on pollution, even though the US continues to be one of the world’s most worst polluters.
The US president also repeating his criticism of “open border” migration policies.
“Immigration and the high cost of so called green, renewable energy is destroying a large part of the free world and a large part of our planet. Countries that cherish freedom are fading fast,” Trump said.
“We need strong borders and traditional energy sources if you are going to be great again,” he said as he concluded his speech, which lasted nearly an hour — well over the 15 minutes allotted to each speaker.
Source : https://www.dw.com/en/unga-colombias-petro-wants-trump-to-face-criminal-process/live-74097199
