)
)
When Donald Trump and William Ruto mounted the podium of the United Nations General Assembly for its 80th session, they carried sharply different views of the institution’s role, the state of global order, and the path forward on major international issues.
Their speeches reveal points of deep contention that underscore the competing visions shaping global politics today.
The United Nations Flaws
Trump portrayed the UN as toothless and ineffective, dismissing it as an organisation of “strongly worded letters” that never translates into meaningful action.
He even questioned its purpose, asking: “What is the purpose of the United Nations?” He highlighted his own record of ending wars without UN assistance, using this to illustrate the organisation’s irrelevance.
Ruto, on the other hand, struck a more reformist tone. While acknowledging the UN’s shortcomings, he called it “one of humanity’s greatest achievements,” reminding delegates of its historic role in peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and global health.
For him, the solution is not abandonment but renewal: “We must make it fit for purpose, reform its structures, strengthen its mandate, and ensure its decisions reflect today’s realities”
President William Ruto delivers a hard-hitting address at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York
)
)
)
Multilateralism vs. Unilateral Power
Another contrast between Trump and Ruto came in their view of how the world should be governed.
Donald Trump’s UNGA address was laced with frustration at multilateral institutions. He dismissed the UN as an organisation that “wasn’t there for us” when he brokered deals to end wars in regions from Eastern Europe to the Middle East.
To him, the global body had become a bystander, issuing “empty words” while real progress was achieved only through U.S. leverage, military power, and tough economic measures such as tariffs.
His message was that America would act alone when necessary, because in his eyes, only decisive unilateral action produced results.
US President Donald Trump delivers remarks to the UN General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 23, 2025
Ruto, by contrast, built his entire speech around the necessity of strengthening multilateralism. He reminded delegates that Kenya has placed its troops and police in harm’s way for peacekeeping missions across Africa and beyond. precisely because it believes in the collective security that the UN represents.
For Ruto, the UN’s failings are not a reason to sideline it but to reform it. He described Kenya’s leadership of the UN-mandated mission in Haiti as a case study of both the strengths and weaknesses of the current system, arguing that solidarity, however imperfect, is what gives the institution its legitimacy.
He went further to demand structural reforms of the Security Council, calling for Africa to secure at least two permanent seats with veto power.
Where Trump insisted that the UN was irrelevant to solving conflicts, Ruto maintained that abandoning it would invite chaos. “We must resist the temptation to give up on the UN,” he said, urging members to reimagine it as a platform that “responds with speed and delivers justice for all”.
Climate Change
Donald Trump brushed off global climate concerns with open disdain. He mocked renewable energy as “the falsely named renewables” and dismissed them as a “joke” that was too costly, unreliable, and dependent on China.
In his telling, wind turbines were “pathetic” and solar panels a bad investment, all symbols of what he called the “hoax” of carbon footprints.
For Trump, prosperity meant doubling down on oil, gas, and coal, which he claimed were the only reliable sources capable of powering strong economies. His speech was less about shared environmental responsibility and more about protecting U.S. energy independence from what he viewed as misguided globalist agendas.
William Ruto, however, positioned climate action at the heart of his address. He called climate change the single greatest threat facing humanity, warning that it threatens every economy and promotes inequality.
President William Ruto delivers a hard-hitting address at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York
Ruto showcased Kenya’s leadership in the field, noting that 93% of the country’s electricity already comes from clean sources.
Ruto also took aim at the global climate finance gap, reminding wealthy nations of their unfulfilled commitments.
He pointed to the Baku–Belém roadmap and called for unlocking large-scale funding so developing nations could transition sustainably.
For Ruto, climate action was not just about cutting emissions but about justice and ensuring that the poorest countries, which bear the brunt of climate disasters, are not left to fend for themselves.
Israel–Palestine Conflict
The Gaza conflict also revealed a clear divide between Donald Trump and William Ruto in their worldviews.
He demanded an immediate halt to the fighting and the release of Israeli hostages, but he firmly rejected the idea of unilaterally recognising a Palestinian state.
For Trump, such recognition would amount to “rewarding” Hamas.
Ruto approached the same issue from a different angle, emphasising the human toll and the need for a comprehensive political solution.
He called for a permanent ceasefire and stressed that both sides must abide by international humanitarian law.
Crucially, Ruto endorsed the two-state solution, envisioning Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.
For him, sustainable peace could not come from military dominance alone but from acknowledging Palestinian statehood alongside Israel’s right to exist.
US President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 23, 2025
Immigration
Donald Trump framed cross-border movement primarily as a security and law-enforcement challenge.
He also used examples from Europe, noting that in countries like Germany, Austria, Greece, and Switzerland, significant shares of prison populations were foreign nationals, which he said showed the consequences of “open borders
William Ruto, on the other hand, is a promoter of open borders, particularly within Africa and has introduced visa free travel to Kenya, with travellers only requiring prior authorisation through the Electronic Travel Authorisation system.
Interestingly, Ruto has also encouraged outward migration, at least for Kenyans, when domestic opportunities are limited.
In recent years he has publicly supported agreements to send Kenyan workers abroad (e.g., to Germany, Canada, and Gulf states) in sectors such as transport, health, and caregiving.
This is partly framed as enabling Kenyans to access opportunities that the domestic market can’t yet provide
The speeches by Donald Trump and William Ruto at the 80th UNGA highlighted two competing visions of global leadership.
Trump’s message leaned inward, placing faith in national sovereignty, unilateral power, and traditional energy sources, while casting doubt on the relevance of multilateral institutions.
Ruto, by contrast, urged the world to strengthen, not abandon, those institutions, and framed global challenges, whether climate change, conflict, or migration, as problems that demand collective action, fairness, and reform.