Few world leaders would miss a stage like the United Nations General Assembly.
asserted
leaders → miss → Assembly
Donald Trump, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Emmanuel Macron are among those in New York for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly — or UNGA81 for short — where the speeches from the green marble lectern make headlines around the globe.
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speeches → make → globe
That makes the no-shows all the more surprising.
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shows → make → ?
Here is a look at some of the leaders staying away — and why.
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look → stay → leaders
Germany: Friedrich Merz
The German chancellor, in his second year in office, would like to be much more present on the international stage and has described himself as a "foreign-policy chancellor."
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chancellor → like → chancellor
But domestic politics have been keeping him busy.
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politics → keep → him
Three German states held parliamentary elections in September and Friedrich Merz is under more pressure as chancellor and leader of the Christian Democrats (CDU) than ever before.
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Merz → hold → Democrats
In Saxony-Anhalt and Berlin, the CDU was firmly voted out of office, while in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern it failed to enter the state parliament at all — a first since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany.
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it → vote → Germany
Merz is in crisis-management mode at home and seems to want to prevent his opponents from planning a revolt in his absence.
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Merz → seem → absence
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will speak in his place.
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Wadephul → speak → place
Italy's prime minister is in a considerably stronger position than Merz but has said she needs to deal with domestic matters this week.
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she → say → matters
After the NATO summit in early July, Giorgia Meloni said she had just returned from several international summits and had to tackle various issues, including some pending within Italy.
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she → say → Italy
She pointed out that Merz had also been absent in 2025 - she too is sending her foreign minister, Antonio Tajani.
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she → point → minister
South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa
The South African president has also just attended an international summit — the BRICS summit in India.
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president → attend → India
He said he would not attend the UN General Assembly for health reasons: medics advised him to take time to rest and recover.
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medics → say → time
His office did not disclose details about his condition.
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office → disclose → condition
South Africa will also be represented at the UN lectern by Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola.
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Africa → represent → Lamola
Along with Africa's largest economy, the second- and third-largest economies on the continent are also not sending their presidents to New York:
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economies → send → York
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is being represented by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.
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Sisi → represent → Madbouly
Al-Sisi's office did not give a reason for his absence.
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office → give → absence
During his first years in office, from 2014 onward, he regularly attended the UN General Assembly.
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he → attend → Assembly
In 2020, the event was held online because of the coronavirus pandemic and the following year it was a hybrid event, to which al-Sisi sent a pre-recorded video message.
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Sisi → hold → message
He has not attended since the General Assembly returned to in-person meetings.
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Assembly → attend → meetings
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu is the third influential African leader to miss this year's UN General Assembly.
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Tinubu → miss → Assembly
His spokesman was quoted by Nigerian media as saying the West African country would be "fully and effectively represented" by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
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country → quote → Shettima
Tinubu, meanwhile, is on vacation: He spent time in the UK in late August before traveling to France.
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He → spend → France
India: Narendra Modi
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is relatively rarely to be seen at UN General Assemblies.
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Modi → see → Assemblies
He last took the podium in 2021, since when the world's largest democracy has consistently sent Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar instead.
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democracy → take → Jaishankar
According to Indian media outlets, Modi was reportedly listed as a speaker at this year's gathering before his plans changed.
uncertain
plans → accord → gathering
Why he decided not to attend is not known.
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decided → decide → ?
As this year's "High-Level Week" takes place, Xi will also be in the US but he will not be going to New York.
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he → take → York
Instead, he will head straight for Washington, some 300 kilometers away, for a full state visit, including a White House gala dinner and a military parade.
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he → head → dinner
Although Beijing has not framed it this way, the timing suggests that Xi is prioritizing great power diplomacy over the United Nations' multilateral forum.
uncertain
Xi → frame → forum
Xi and Trump have serious bones of contention, including over trade relations, artificial intelligence and Taiwan's security situation.
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Xi → have → relations
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also rarely stood at the iconic podium so it comes as little surprise that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will once again speak for Russia this year.
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Lavrov → stand → Russia
Putin ordered this by decree — and didn't offer a reason for his absence.
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Putin → order → absence
Mahmoud Abbashas clocked up far more UNGA experience than any of those listed above.
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Abbashas → clock → those
But last year, the Trump administration denied him a diplomatic visa and has done so again this year.
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administration → deny → visa
Yet, under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, the United States is committed to facilitating access to UN headquarters for foreign representatives.
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States → commit → representatives
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, for example, is still due to speak in New York, despite the US having recently bombed Iran.
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US → speak → Iran
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
