At UN, unrepentant Donald Trump set to rattle foes, friends alike

President Donald Trump is poised to redouble his commitment to America First on the most global of stages this week In the sequel to his stormy UN debut Trump will stress his dedication to the primacy of US interests while competing with Western allies for an advantage on trade and shining a spotlight on the threat that he says Iran poses to the Middle East and beyondOne year after Trump stood at the rostrum of the UN General Assembly and derided North Koreas Kim Jong Un as Rocket Man the push to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula is a work in progress although fears of war have given way to hopes for rapprochement Scores of world leaders even those representing Americas closest friends remain wary of TrumpIn the 12 months since his last visit to the UN the president has jolted the global status quo by pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal starting trade conflicts with China and the West and embracing Russias Vladimir Putin even as the investigation into the US presidents ties to Moscow moves closer to the Oval Office Long critical of the United Nations Trump delivered a warning shot ahead of his arrival by declaring that the world body had not lived up to its potentialIts always been surprising to me that more things arent resolved Trump said in a weekend video message because you have all of these countries getting together in one location but it doesnt seem to get there I think it will If there is a throughline to the stillevolving Trump doctrine on foreign policy it is that the president will not subordinate American interests on the world stage whether for economic military or political gain Nikki Haley the US ambassador to the United Nations told reporters in a preview of Trumps visit that the presidents focus will be very much on the United States its role and the relations it wants to build He is looking forward to talking about foreign policy successes the United States has had over the past year and where were going to go from here she saidHe wants to talk about protecting US sovereignty while building relationships with nations that share those values In his fourday visit to New York Trump will deliver major speeches and met with representatives of a world order that he has so often upended in the past year Like a year ago North Koreas nuclear threat will hover over the gathering though its shadow may appear somewhat less ominousThe nuclear threat was sure to be on the agenda at Trumps first meeting a dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Manhattan on Sunday night Abe stands first among world leaders in cultivating a close relationship with the president through displays of flattery that he has used to advance his efforts to influence the unpredictable American leader On Monday afternoon Trump planned to sit down with South Korean President Moon Jaein who comes bearing a personal message to Trump from North Koreas Kim after their interKorean talks last weekTrump and Moon were expected to sign a new version of the USSouth Korean trade agreement one of Trumps first successes in his effort to renegotiate trade deals on more favorable terms for the US Even so some US officials worry that South Koreas eagerness to restore relations with the North could reduce sanctions pressure on Kims government hampering efforts to negotiate a nuclear accord We have our eyes wide open Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told NBCs Meet the Press on SundayThere is a long ways to go to get Chairman Kim to live up to the commitment that he made to President Trump and indeed to the demands of the world in the UN Security Council resolutions to get him to fully denuclearize Trumps address to the General Assembly comes Tuesday and on Wednesday he will for the first time chair the Security Council with the stated topic of nonproliferation of nuclear chemical and biological weaponsThe subject initially was to have been Iran but that could have allowed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to attend creating a potentially awkward situation for the US leader Aides say the president will also use the session to discuss North Korea and other proliferation issues While Trump is not seeking a meeting with Rouhani he is open to talking with the Iranian leader if Rouhani requests one administration officials said In meetings with European leaders as well as during the Security Council session Trump plans to try to make the case that global companies are cutting ties with Iran ahead of the reimposition in five weeks of tough sanctions against TehranThe penalties are a result of Trumps decision to withdraw the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal Trump at the time cited Irans role as a malign force in the region particularly its support of terrorist groups but also its involvement in Syria US officials say their priority for the region now is removing Iranian forces from Syria Trump is also expected to deliver a fresh warning to Syrias Bashar alAssad that the use of chemical weapons against civilians in the major rebel stronghold of Idlib would have serious repercussionsBritain and France are actively planning a military response should Assad use chemical weapons again according to US officials I think hes got a couple major possibilities really to help illuminate for the American people what Americas place in the world national security adviser John Bolton told Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures previewing Trumps UN appearance Bolton like Pompeo is part of a far more hawkish national security team than the one that surrounded Trump a year agoCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for 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