Kremlin says Putin will speak at UN General Assembly for first time since 2015 & he's already preparing his speech

Vladimir Putin will participate in the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 22. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event will be held by video conference.

This spares the Russian president a flight to New York, and some inevitable US media hysteria about his presence on American soil, but it also means he won't be able to press the flesh with foreign leaders. In July, the Times of London reported that US President Donald Trump wanted to meet his Russian counterpart at the UNGA.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, on Wednesday, that Putin is already working on his speech. He last spoke at the UNGA in 2015, when he famously asked countries who supported Middle Eastern revolutions “Do you realize what you have done?” accusing them of creating a power vacuum in which Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) thrived.

“The organizers put forward an initiative that, considering the epidemiological situation, state leaders should participate using pre-recordings of their speeches,” Peskov outlined. “The same invitation was received by the Russian side. This address is now being worked on and prepared.”

The preliminary program of speeches has the Russian president  appearing seventh on September 22, after the leaders of Brazil, the USA, Turkey, China, Chile, and Cuba. President Hassan Rouhani of Iran and Emmanuel Macron of France are also due to take part.

The United Nations High-Level Week this year will be conducted from September 22 to September 29 mostly in a virtual format. Nevertheless, US President Donald Trump and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have announced they may appear in person.

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