US President Donald Trump declared that China and India, along with NATO member states, are the “primary funders” of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war by continuing to purchase Russian oil.

“Even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products… I found out about two weeks ago, and I wasn’t happy. Think of it, they’re funding the war against themselves,” President Trump told world leaders at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on September 23, 2025.

The President cautioned that if Russia refuses to negotiate an end to the conflict, the United States is “fully prepared” to impose a sweeping round of tariffs, which he insisted would halt the fighting “very quickly.” For the tariffs to be “effective,” he urged European nations to adopt identical measures.

He further stressed that Washington is already applying tariffs to other nations, as they had previously levied duties on the US. “We’ve used tariffs as a defense mechanism under the Trump administration, including my first term, where hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs were taken in,” he said.

The President also claimed that in just seven months his administration ended seven “unendable” wars, naming conflicts involving Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, the Congo and Rwanda, Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“We saved millions and millions of lives with the seven wars,” he said, while criticizing the United Nations for inaction.

“It’s too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them. And sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them,” he continued. “I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of each and every one of these countries, and never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help in finalizing the deal.”

President Trump mocked the UN for what he described as its failures, joking that the only things he had received from the global body were “a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter.”

“These are the two things I got from the United Nations, a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter… by the way, it’s working now,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.

“I don’t mind making this speech without a teleprompter, because the teleprompter is not working. I feel very happy to be up here with you nevertheless, and that way you speak more from the heart. I can only say that whoever is operating this teleprompter is in big trouble,” he added.

Questioning the “purpose” of the UN, President Trump argued the organization has failed to meet its potential. “The UN has such tremendous potential, but it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential. All the global organization does is to write a really strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter up,” he said.

He further argued that his administration has received no recognition for peacemaking efforts, saying, “Our country received no credit never receives credit,” and adding that “everyone is urging that he should get the Nobel Peace Prize for ending the wars.”

President Trump also faulted the UN for neglecting pressing challenges such as mass migration. “The United Nations is funding an assault on Western countries and their borders. In 2024 the UN budgeted $372 million in cash assistance to support an estimated 624,000 migrants journeying into the United States,” he said. “The UN is supporting people that are illegally coming into the United States. The UN also provided food, shelter, transportation and debit cards to illegal aliens.”

He vowed stricter action on migration noting “Our message is very simple. If you come illegally into the United States, you’re going to jail, or you’re going back to where you came from, or perhaps even further than that. You know what that means,” while praising El Salvador for cracking down on criminals entering the US.

President Trump noted, “I’m in New York City. I’m feeling a lot safer,” while also claiming that Washington, DC, “crime capital of America,” had become a completely safe city in just 12 days.

On climate change, he criticized longstanding UN warnings as exaggerated, citing past predictions of global catastrophe.

“It’s the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world, in my opinion,” he said. “I’m telling you that if you don’t get away from the green energy scam, your country is going to fail… I’m the President of the United States, but I worry about Europe. I love Europe. I love the people of Europe… The carbon footprint is a hoax made up by people with evil intentions,” he added.

The President called on nations to prioritize “strong borders and traditional energy sources” as the path to national strength.

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