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 have become a common topic of discussion, with some expressing disdain for international institutions like the United Nations. Veteran US diplomat Jeffrey D Feltman noted that many major topics at the Assembly are related to US policy. Notable absences include Presidents Xi Jinping of China, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, who is considered illegitimate by the Trump administration and about 50 other governments. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine is the only prominent figure attending the event, and he plans to meet with President Donald Trump amidst concerns that Trump pressured him over US domestic political issues. The biggest moments and confrontations may occur early in the week. A group of like-minded leaders, including Bolsonaro, Trump, El-Sissi, and Erdogan, will be speaking. Trump, known for his bombastic and controversial style, will be joined by Bolsonaro, who is often compared to him and shares similar views on climate change and social media criticism. Following Trump is President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt, a former general known for his role in suppressing the Arab Spring uprisings. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who has been criticized for his authoritarian tendencies and crackdown on journalists, comes next. The United States and Saudi Arabia are expected to continue their campaign against Iran, with hopes of presenting evidence linking Iran to the recent attack on Saudi oil facilities. The possibility of a meeting between Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has diminished in light of the attack. Iran has denied the accusation made against them. Yemen's Houthi rebels, who receive support from Iran in their fight against a Saudi-led coalition that has been bombing their country for over four years, have claimed responsibility. President Rouhani is expected to speak on Wednesday and is likely to argue that Trump initiated the conflict by pulling out of the 2015 nuclear agreement and imposing harsh sanctions that are damaging the Iranian economy. The United States is working to form a coalition to deter Iran, although it is uncertain what form this deterrence would take. The General Assembly provides an opportunity for the administration to focus on coalition-building and applying political and economic pressure rather than quickly resorting to military action, according to Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Washington will not be present at a climate change meeting where about 60 heads of state will speak at the Climate Action Summit to discuss initiatives such as net-zero carbon emissions in buildings. Despite the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2017, some state governors from the US Climate Alliance will attend the summit and engage with other delegations. Additionally, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is set to meet with Chinese officials on the sidelines, indicating efforts to improve the atmosphere for future trade negotiations between the US and China. Recently, the two governments halted their increasing tariff dispute. However, certain administration officials are advocating for Trump to tackle other topics that are seen as delicate by China. These include the pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, the suppression of Tibetans, and the detentions of over 1 million Muslims, predominantly ethnic Uighurs. An official suggested that Trump should at least condemn China for attempting to intimidate Uighur-American activists. Trump has not been vocal about human rights issues and has openly admired Xi and other authoritarian figures. Nonetheless, lawmakers from both parties in Congress are urging Trump to take action. The bills concerning the Uighurs, Tibet, and Hong Kong are designed to push Trump and his administration towards taking stronger stances. The leaders of Japan and South Korea are currently not speaking to each other due to a long-standing feud stemming from Japan's wartime occupation, which has resulted in decreased trade relations and the termination of an intelligence-sharing agreement. It is unlikely that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea will meet. It is uncertain if Trump will be able to bring them together for a three-way conversation. Additionally, progress on the shared goal of North Korea's nuclear disarmament may be limited. During the upcoming General Assembly, Moon is anticipated to encourage Trump to once again prioritize diplomacy with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un. However, it is noted that no high-ranking North Korean official will be in attendance. In another matter, pressure will be placed on Europe to impose sanctions on Venezuela's government. Foreign ministers from 18 Western Hemisphere nations, including the United States, are set to meet to discuss potential actions against Maduro, who has overseen a significant economic collapse in Venezuela and a crisis marked by the departure of millions of citizens. The focus will be on urging the European Union to increase economic sanctions on Maduro's supporters, such as freezing their assets in Europe. Additionally, there may be a push for penalties against those involved in smuggling Venezuelan gold into Europe. Despite facing months of calls to step down from an opposition movement led by Juan Guaidó, the president of Venezuela's Parliament, Maduro has managed to hold onto power after claiming victory in disputed elections last year. Negotiations between rival factions in Venezuela came to a halt last week, causing tensions between the United States and Turkey. President Trump and President Erdogan are set to meet, but the results are uncertain. Various challenging issues have caused friction between their governments. The Trump administration 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 is also increasingly displeased with the United States over their joint operations in northern Syria, which borders Turkey. He states that the Americans have not been successful in creating a secure zone big enough to prevent Kurdish fighters from entering Turkey, who view them as terrorist rebels. Erdogan issued a warning on Saturday that his troops would take independent actions along the border if the United States did not intervene by the end of the month. Afghanistan is the last country to address the General Assembly this year, following the breakdown of talks between the Taliban and the United States to end the long-standing war. President Ashraf Ghani, who is facing national elections next Saturday, was not anticipated to be present. Afghanistan's delegation will be headed by Hamdullah Mohib, the national security adviser to Ashraf, rather than someone else. Mohib angered the Trump administration earlier in March by suggesting that the peace talks would not result in a peaceful resolution.