US first lady Melania Trump will preside over a UN Security Council meeting in what the United Nations on Thursday said would be a first. It comes as President Trump has criticised the United Nations, saying repeatedly that the 193-member world body has not lived up to its potential. Trump also raised concerns among allies that his wider ambitions for the Board of Peace to play a role in other global conflicts beyond Gaza would sidestep the UN Security Council. He added, "Someday, I won't be here - the United Nations will be." As for the significance of Melania Trump presiding over the Security Council meeting, Dujarric called it "a sign of the importance that the United States feels towards the Security Council and the subject."

Source: The Telegraph February 27, 2026 08:12 UTC