Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns the UN that Russian aggression is a global threat, urging greater security measures. Meanwhile, Trump distances himself from Putin as tensions rise.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a stark warning at the United Nations, emphasizing that no one in Europe or beyond is safe from Russia’s growing aggression. As Russian forces continue their illegal invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy highlighted the expanding threat to European security, calling for stronger measures to protect the continent from further incursions.
During his speech, Zelenskyy addressed the increasing number of Russian airspace violations in European countries, including Poland, a NATO member. In September alone, roughly 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, while last week, three Russian MiG-31 jets flew into Estonian airspace. Under NATO’s collective defense rules, an attack on one member is considered an attack on all, making these incursions all the more concerning.
“Putin will keep driving the war forward, wider and deeper,” Zelenskyy warned, stressing that Ukraine is only the beginning of Russia’s ambitions. “Now, Russian drones are already flying across Europe, and Russian operations are already spreading across countries. Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it, and no one can feel safe right now.”
Zelenskyy also raised alarms about the technological advancements in warfare since Russia’s invasion, particularly the development of AI-controlled drones. “We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history,” he said. “Weapons move fast. Now, companies are already working on drones that can shoot down other drones, and it’s only a matter of time before drones are fighting drones, attacking critical infrastructure, and targeting people all by themselves, fully autonomous and with no human involved.”
The Ukrainian president stressed the urgency of creating global regulations for the use of AI in weaponry, likening it to the need for global safeguards against nuclear weapons proliferation. “Every year that this war goes on, weapons become even more deadly. And only Russia deserves to be blamed for this,” he added.
In response to these developments, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is opening up arms exports, offering powerful, battle-tested weapons to other countries. “We have decided to open up arms exports. And these are powerful systems tested in a real war when every international institution failed,” he said, emphasizing Ukraine’s readiness to contribute to global security.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy’s warning comes as Donald Trump, who has historically been seen as a supporter of Vladimir Putin, has distanced himself from the Russian leader. Trump, who has frequently criticized Biden’s handling of the Ukraine conflict, appears to have turned on Putin as the war continues to escalate.
The UN General Assembly also heard from other world leaders, including Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who became the first Syrian president in nearly 60 years to attend the UN.
