After more than five decades at the forefront of United States foreign policy, President Joe Biden may have hoped to use his speech to over a hundred world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York to burnish both his own legacy and the country’s leadership on the world stage. But an escalation in what was already a major crisis in the Middle East means the world will be listening for short-term solutions on top of capstone remarks on how his presidency will be regarded by history. Senior administration officials acknowledge that Biden, both in his remarks to the General Assembly and in engagements with world leaders, must confront that reality as Israel carries out extensive military strikes across Lebanon that so far have killed hundreds, including children, according to the Lebanese health ministry. But “peace efforts” – in the Middle East with concerns about a full-scale war breaking out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, on top of the conflict in Gaza, but also Ukraine – will take center stage, these officials say, highlighting the increasing instability that’s emerged in the last year. Read the full story.

---

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, ” –, Ukraine – Organizations: United, United Nations General Assembly, General Locations: United States, New York, Israel, Lebanon, Gaza, Ukraine