The key themes of the 193-member General Assembly agenda include trade wars, migration, energy supplies, climate change, and poverty eradication. The Trump administration's actions, which have at times shown disregard for international institutions such as the United Nations, have become a common focus. Veteran US diplomat Jeffrey D Feltman noted that US policy is a major topic of discussion among leaders at the assembly. Some notable leaders, such as Xi Jinping of China, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, are not expected to attend. However, only one notable figure, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine, is set to attend the event. Zelenskiy intends to hold a meeting with President Donald Trump amidst rising concerns that Trump had applied pressure on him regarding US domestic political matters. The early part of the week may witness some significant moments and potential confrontations. The speeches will kick off on Tuesday, with Trump being joined by leaders who share similar views such as Bolsonaro, El-Sissi, and Erdogan. Trump, known for his bold and controversial statements, will be in the company of like-minded leaders. Bolsonaro, often referred to as the mini-Trump, shares Trump's skepticism towards climate change and his tendency to ridicule critics on social media. Following Trump is President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt, a former general who has become a symbol of the suppression of the Arab Spring movements, although his position was questioned this past weekend due to protests in his country. Next in line is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a dictator who has intimidated critics and whose government is known for imprisoning journalists. The United States and Saudi Arabia are preparing to present their case against Iran. There was speculation that Trump would make history by meeting with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, but the recent attack on Saudi oil facilities on Sept 14, which US and Saudi officials attribute to Iran, has made such a meeting unlikely. US officials are expected to provide evidence that Iran was behind the attack using drones and cruise missiles. Iran has rejected the accusation, with Yemen's Houthi rebels claiming responsibility. President Rouhani is expected to blame President Trump for starting the conflict by withdrawing from the nuclear agreement and imposing sanctions on Iran. The United States is working to form a coalition to counter Iran, although it is uncertain how this will be achieved. The General Assembly allows the administration to focus on building a coalition and applying political and economic pressure instead of rushing into a military response. Washington will not be present at a climate change meeting where around 60 heads of state will address the issue at the Climate Action Summit. The United States, under Trump's leadership, has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement on climate change, but some state governors from the US Climate Alliance will still attend. Additionally, US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin is set to meet with Chinese officials in an effort to improve the atmosphere for trade negotiations. The two governments have temporarily halted their increasing tariff dispute. However, some officials in the administration are advocating for Trump to tackle other topics that are seen as delicate by China, such as the pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, the suppression of Tibetans, and the imprisonment of over 1 million Muslims, mainly ethnic Uighurs. A government official suggested that Trump should at the very least condemn China for attempting to intimidate Uighur-American activists. Trump has never been vocal about human rights issues and has openly praised Xi and other authoritarian figures. Nevertheless, lawmakers from both political parties in Congress are urging Trump to take action. Bills targeting the Uighurs, Tibet, and Hong Kong are intended to push Trump and his administration towards taking stronger stances. The leaders of Japan and South Korea are currently in a feud due to historical issues, resulting in strained trade relations and the termination of an intelligence-sharing agreement. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Moon Jae-in are not anticipated to hold a meeting. It is uncertain if Trump can bring them together for a three-way discussion. Progress on the shared objective of North Korea's nuclear disarmament may be minimal. While Moon is anticipated to encourage Trump to once again prioritize diplomacy with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, there are no plans for any high-ranking North Korean officials to attend the General Assembly. The focus will now shift to pressuring Europe to impose penalties on Venezuela's government. Foreign ministers from 18 countries in the Western Hemisphere, including the United States, are scheduled to meet to discuss potential actions against Maduro, who has overseen a severe economic collapse and a regional crisis due to mass emigration. The goal is to persuade the European Union to increase economic sanctions on Maduro's supporters, including freezing their assets in Europe. Additionally, there may be a push for Europe to penalize those involved in smuggling Venezuelan gold into the continent. Despite facing demands to step down from the opposition led by Juan Guaidó, Maduro, who claimed victory in disputed elections, remains in power. Last week, talks between the opposing parties in Venezuela fell apart. Tensions between the United States and Turkey are mounting as Trump and Erdogan are set to meet, but the results are uncertain. Various challenging matters have created conflict between their administrations. The Trump government is contemplating imposing sanctions on Turkey, a fellow NATO member, for purchasing a Russian S-400 missile defense system instead of American-made Patriots. Erdogan, on the other hand, has shown increasing frustration towards the US for their collaborative efforts in northern Syria, which is adjacent to Turkey. He states that the United States has not been successful in creating a safe zone big enough to prevent Kurdish fighters from entering Turkey, which sees them as terrorist insurgents. Erdogan issued a warning on Saturday, stating that his forces would take independent actions along the border if the United States did not take action by the end of the month. Lastly, Afghanistan will be the final national delegation to address the General Assembly this year, following the breakdown of talks between the Taliban and the United States. President Ashraf Ghani is not expected to attend due to upcoming national elections. Afghanistan's delegation will be headed by Hamdullah Mohib, the national security adviser to Ashraf, rather than someone else. Mohib caused anger within the Trump administration in March by forecasting that the peace talks would not result in peace.