The Weekly Report: September 20-27 2026
United States
The official state visit of President Xi Jinping of China concluded on Friday with President Trump and President Xi having tea at the White House before heading over to the National Archives. The there day visit did not bring any major policy announcements with it from either side. Achievements aside, President Trump said the two had a “really great meeting,” and that the results of the conversation were “great for the farmers.” It was revealed during the visit that both China and the U.S. had agreed to extend the trade war truce for two months while negotiations continue.
Asia
In her speech at the UN General Assembly, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the UN must remove any and all references to the former Axis powers as “enemy states” in its charter. This label has aided recent attacks against Japan by both Russia and China. The UN Charter makes several references to “enemy states” because, when the document was written towards the end of World War II, Allied nations wanted a way to prevent the rise of militaristic dictatorships in the Axis power nations.
Europe
Leaders of European nations have made various statements this past week regarding the threat posed by Russia to EU and NATO countries. The prime minister of Poland said, citing intelligence reports, that Russia could be planning attacks in Europe. The President of France said, “No one is safe.” The prime minister of the United Kingdom referred to the non-military threat of information warfare in his address to the UN, saying the UK faced an “industrial-scale threat.” As Russia continues to face difficulty advancing in Europe, European leaders remain concerned that he could act against them due to his difficult position.
Americas
The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, said in her UN General Assembly speech that her nation would hold elections in the near future. She added that she will oversee the “orderly legal transition” following years of dictatorship by former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Her address marked the first to be given by a Venezuelan head of state since 2018. Nicolas Maduro had, before his capture by the U.S., avoided traveling to the annual diplomatic event held in New York due to fears of arrest.
Africa
At the UN General Assembly, almost every leader of an African nation who spoke called for permanent representation of an African nation on the security council. The President of Ghana, John Mahama, said the change is “imperative for the legitimacy, the credibility and the survival of the United Nations.” The Secretary-General of the UN, António Guterres, said the lack of permanent African representation on the Security Council was “unjust and indefensible.”
Middle East
The Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said his nation had proposed a seven-day plan to end fighting and hostilities between Iran and the U.S., as well as opening the Strait of Hormuz and restarting negotiations. When describing the details, he said: “We have introduced a plan to the United States through the intermediaries that if certain conditions are met, the Strait of Hormuz would be open at the end of the seventh day and talks would restart.” It does not appear as though the U.S. has responded to the offer.
