President Donald Trump delivered a nationalistic speech with threats to America’s enemies in his first address to the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday.
Here are are some world leaders reacted.
“In over 30 years in my experience with the U.N., I never heard a bolder or more courageous speech.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted. Trump called the Iran nuclear deal , which Netanyahu opposes, an “embarrassment.” Trump has yet to make it clear if the U.S. will back out of the agreement.
Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted, “Trump’s ignorant hate speech belongs in medieval times — not the 21st Century UN — unworthy of a reply. Fake empathy for Iranians fools no one.”
Another critic of Trump’s speech was Sweden.
”This was a bombastic, nationalist speech. It must have been decades since one last heard a speech like that in the U.N. General Assembly. … This was a speech at the wrong time to the wrong audience.” Margot Wallstrom, foreign minister of Sweden, said, according to the AP.
However, Russia liked Trump’s statement that the U.S. won’t “seek to impose our way of life on anyone.”
“I think it’s a very welcome statement, which we haven’t heard from an American leader for a very long time,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Associated Press.
Trump also condemned North Korea and Venezuela during the speech. He called for democracy in Venezuela and dubbed North Korea’s Kim Jong Un “rocket man,” while saying the U.S. might have to “destroy” the hermit nation.
Venezuela’s foreign minister Jorge Arreaza said, “No leader can come and question our democracy, can come and question our sovereignty. We do not accept threats from President Trump or whoever in this world.”
While Trump’s harsh talk to North Korea was welcomed by American ally South Korea. “We believe (he) expressed a firm and specific stance regarding the important issue of maintaining peace and security now facing the international community and the United Nations.” Park Soo-hyun, spokesman for South Korea’s presidential office, said.