US Elections 2024: As global dignitaries gather for the United Nations General Assembly this week, many are vying for a key opportunity to engage with the potential future leaders of the United States. With the 2024 election on the horizon, foreign leaders are keen to decipher the direction of US foreign policy, seeking meetings with both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.Diplomatic race for meetingsWhile President Joe Biden is conducting a series of high-stakes diplomatic talks at the UN and in Delaware, international attention is shifting towards Trump and Harris, the two key figures vying for the White House. Both candidates are using the occasion to strengthen their diplomatic profiles as they meet foreign leaders, illustrating their contrasting worldviews and approaches to global affairs.The most prominent foreign leader set to meet with both Trump and Harris is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. As he continues to push for support in Ukraines defense against Russia, Zelenskys appeals to Biden, Trump, and Harris demonstrate the international stakes of the upcoming US election.Harris and Trumps long diplomatic engagementsVice President Harris has scheduled a Washington meeting with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed on Monday, focusing on escalating tensions in the Middle East. Additionally, Harris will meet Zelensky at the White House on Thursday, marking her seventh meeting with the Ukrainian leader. While Harris is not expected to travel to New York for the UN assembly, her meetings reflect her role in shaping US diplomacy.Former President Trump, on the other hand, has announced plans to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a longstanding ally. Trumps campaign has also hinted that more meetings with world leaders could take place, some of which may not be publicly disclosed in advance.High demand for Trump and Harris meetingsBoth Harris and Trump are fielding numerous requests from foreign leaders eager to secure a meeting. Some leaders have even offered to adjust their schedules to accommodate the candidates. For both Trump and Harris, the decision of who to meet with becomes a delicate balance of time, priorities, and campaign demands.Trump has held various private conversations with global leaders since leaving office, including Hungarys Viktor Orbán, whom Trump has praised for his strong leadership. Trumps meetings with foreign leaders often go beyond formal diplomacy, showcasing his personal relationships with figures like Modi.UN Assembly: An afterthought for the candidatesDespite the global significance of the UN General Assembly, the event has taken a backseat in the US election season, with domestic issues like the economy, immigration, and abortion taking precedence in the minds of voters. As Jon Alterman, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted, The people who are going to decide the future of US engagement in the world dont think being at the UN will help them get elected.Harris, mindful of diplomatic optics, has limited her meetings to a few key sessions in Washington, avoiding the potential backlash of turning down requests from other leaders. In her meetings with President bin Zayed and President Zelensky, Harris will address two major foreign policy challenges: the ongoing Middle East crisis and the war in Ukraine.Trumps global ties and campaign strategyTrumps diplomatic approach focuses on relationships he cultivated during his presidency. He has regularly spoken with foreign leaders, including Polish President Andrzej Duda and Ukrainian President Zelensky, with whom he had a controversial exchange in 2019 that led to his first impeachment. Trumps engagement with figures like Modi and Duda reflects his alignment with nationalist leaders and his preference for personal diplomacy over institutional channels.Foreign interest in US Election outcomesInternational leaders closely monitor US elections, analyzing polling data, engaging in private conversations, and relying on diplomatic intelligence to forecast potential outcomes. Foreign leaders interest in US politics is not unprecedented in 2016, then-candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both held meetings with key global figures such as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.As the US election approaches, foreign leaders are not just passively observing—they are actively seeking clues about future US foreign policy and vying for influence in shaping that future.
