World leaders gathered in New York this week for the 81st UN General Assembly as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East dominated the diplomatic agenda. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged governments to maintain pressure on Russia, warning that President Vladimir Putin must be denied room to expand the war. Polish President Karol Nawrocki also condemned what he described as Russian imperialism and called for stronger resistance to threats from Moscow. Poland is meanwhile pressing Washington to approve a permanent US Army base on its territory, with a decision expected by year-end after the Pentagon completes its review of US forces in Europe. Trump left New York on Wednesday to personally welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews ahead of White House talks on Thursday. AI, trade, Taiwan and geopolitical security are expected to feature prominently.