US President Donald Trump spent much of his September 23rd address to the UN General Assembly criticizing international organizations, saying they "aren't really helpful." But when he met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres afterward, he displayed a completely different attitude—not harsh, not critical, even conciliatory.

"Our country supports the UN 100%," the US president said. "And I think the UN has tremendous potential, really tremendous."

US President Donald Trump addresses the UN General Assembly on 23/9. Photo: AP

US President Donald Trump addresses the UN General Assembly on 23/9. Photo: AP

The US president seemed to present two entirely different images in just a few hours. After 10 years of Trump in politics, most world leaders have grown accustomed to the reality of two Trumps: one who often expresses tough, decisive stances in public speeches or on social media, and another who is more restrained, even willing to compromise, in private.

If this were Trump's first term, many leaders might have been offended by the scolding they received on September 23rd, when the president pointed out everything he believed they were failing at. "You are destroying your countries," he said.

In 2018, global diplomats largely dismissed Trump's boastful UN speech. This time, the reaction from the hall wasn't outrage or ridicule, but applause and praise.

Mr. Trump criticizes Western countries for recognizing the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly on 23/9. Video: AFP

Through their personal experiences with the US president, foreign leaders have seemingly learned how to please him, understanding that he appreciates praise and is easily angered if he feels disrespected or deceived.

"They were clearly quite anxious about what Trump would say," observed Richard Gowan, UN director of the International Crisis Group. "There was a tacit understanding that they needed to be as friendly as possible to President Trump to avoid angering him."

Gowan added that from UN officials to world leaders, "everyone is worried about Trump's unpredictability," to the point that those who previously clashed with the president believe the best strategy is to remain silent in the face of any criticism he levels.

A European diplomatic source said European officials didn't want to publicly explain or refute Trump's attacks. Instead, they tried to arrange private meetings with the president, offering him praise.

In his speech, President Trump cited the peace negotiations in which the US government has participated to argue that the UN is outdated and no longer capable of resolving global conflicts. But instead of publicly refuting this, Secretary-General Guterres used this very topic in his private meeting with President Trump to praise him.

Mr. Trump meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session on 23/9. Photo: AP

Mr. Trump meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session on 23/9. Photo: AP

"You have chosen peace as a central objective of your term," the UN leader said. "You have sought in every circumstance, in every context, to obtain or to try to obtain ceasefires, de-escalation, peace agreements, or the basis for them."

President Trump welcomed the goodwill. "I may disagree at times, but I very much support what you’re doing," Trump said about the UN. However, the Trump administration has cut USD 1 billion from the UN budget and notified Congress of its intent to cut another USD 1 billion. The president has also withdrawn the US from several UN agencies and the Paris Climate Agreement.

Similarly, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen showed no irritation after Trump mocked European nations for buying oil and natural gas from Russia.

"Think of it, they're pumping money into the very conflict they’re fighting against," the president said at the UN. "It's a disgrace for them, and they were very embarrassed when I pointed it out."

In her meeting with the US president later that day, von der Leyen simply replied: "You're absolutely right, and we're addressing this issue."

French President Emmanuel Macron, who frequently speaks with the US leader by phone, also seemed to be taking a similar approach to Trump. In his address to the UN General Assembly, the French president condemned "those who criticize the UN most vehemently," though not naming Trump directly, accusing them of "wanting to change the rules of the game because they want to demonstrate their dominance."

But in his private meeting with President Trump, Macron didn't mention their disagreements. Instead, he spoke of US-French cooperation in efforts to end conflicts abroad.

Ultimately, upon leaving at the end of the day, European officials achieved what they considered a major policy victory. They successfully persuaded President Trump to change his stance on the Ukraine-Russia conflict. After months of saying Ukraine should cede territory for a lasting peace agreement with Russia, the president said on September 23rd that he believes Kyiv, with support from NATO, can reclaim all its territory.

President Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on 23/9. Photo: AP

President Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on 23/9. Photo: AP

Perhaps no example of President Trump's contrasting sides was clearer than his interactions with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on September 23rd.

He devoted part of his UN speech to attacking the Brazilian government, accusing it of "undertaking an unprecedented effort to interfere in the rights and freedoms of US citizens and others by censoring, suppressing, weaponizing, corrupting justice and targeting political critics in the US."

But behind the scenes, President Trump and his Brazilian counterpart were seen acting like old friends.

"We had a very positive exchange, we agreed that we’re going to get together next week," Trump said, adding that President Lula da Silva was "extremely nice."

"He loves me, and I love him. I only work with people I love," the US president said. "We had at least 39 seconds of great chemistry. That’s a good sign."

Vu Hoang (According to AP, Reuters, AFP)