UN General Assembly Day 2: Zelensky, AI Leaders & More Live

Julia Hoffmann · 2026-09-23

### What to Expect on Day Two of the UN General Assembly Welcome back to our live coverage of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. It's Wednesday in New York, and the second day of the general debate is about to kick off. If you thought yesterday was busy, wait until you see today's lineup. We're expecting speeches from leaders of Syria, Iran, Ukraine, Serbia, and several other nations. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. The real action happens in the side meetings and Security Council sessions. ### Security Council Meeting on Ukraine At 11:00 AM local time, the Security Council will hold a high-level meeting on Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to attend. This comes amid ongoing tensions and will likely draw global attention. We'll be bringing you updates as they happen. ### AI and International Security: A Historic Discussion At 3:00 PM, the Security Council will host a first-of-its-kind meeting on artificial intelligence and international security. The heads of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Hugging Face – Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Clément Delangue – will participate. This is a big deal. AI is reshaping everything from warfare to diplomacy, and the UN is finally stepping in to discuss global governance. > "The intersection of AI and international security is the defining challenge of our time. We need global cooperation now more than ever." – A senior UN official ### Other High-Level Meetings Beyond the Security Council, there are several other high-level meetings today: - **40th Anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development**: A session to reflect on progress and challenges. - **Climate Change**: Discussions on accelerating action to meet the Paris Agreement goals. - **Side Events**: A series of parallel events as part of the High-Level Week, covering topics from global health to digital cooperation. ### Why This Matters For professionals following international relations, today's agenda is packed with significance. The Security Council's focus on AI signals a new era of global governance. Zelensky's presence underscores the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. And the development and climate meetings remind us that the UN's work extends far beyond immediate conflicts. We'll be live-blogging all the major moments. Stick with us for real-time updates, analysis, and expert reactions. Whether you're a diplomat, a policy wonk, or just someone who cares about global affairs, today's events will shape the conversations for months to come. Stay tuned. The day is just getting started.