Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged world leaders on Wednesday to continue restricting Russia’s revenues and undermining its war efforts. He stated at the UN General Assembly that “Russia’s revenues must remain a target.”
“When someone gives Russia more money through trade, they give this war more time. And that is exactly why we insist on limiting trade with the aggressor, and why we are burning Russia’s revenues ourselves,” he said in English, a language he often uses at the world body.
Russia will address the assembly on Saturday, but President Vladimir Putin has opted to send Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov instead, as he hasn’t attended in years. Lavrov stated that Russia is ready to negotiate for a lasting peace but will not simply “pause” the war, arguing this would allow Ukraine and its allies to gather more weapons.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cast doubt on Russia’s intentions, saying, “Something always seems to stop Putin from saying, ‘That’s it. Enough. Peace.’ He is ‘Patient Zero,’ the source from which war continues to spread.”
Since Russia invaded Ukraine over four and a half years ago, there have been significant casualties, with estimates of more than 500,000 Russian troop deaths and over 500,000 Ukrainian military casualties, including approximately 140,000 deaths. Neither country releases official figures.
The war has global impacts, notably on fuel, fertiliser, and grain supplies, while deepening geopolitical divisions between Russia and the West. As front-line positions remain static, both sides have increased long-range attacks.
Recently, Russian drones targeted Kyiv, killing two and injuring 23, while a strike in Zaporizhzhia caused a large fire at a shopping mall. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed it struck various Ukrainian military and energy facilities and intercepted over 500 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
President Zelenskyy informed the assembly that Russia has used 63,000 attack drones against Ukraine this year. While highlighting Ukraine’s resilience, he urged world leaders to restrict funding and foreign fighters for Putin, saying, “Limit his money. Limit his war.”
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine is still waiting for clear answers on acquiring more US Patriot air defence systems. During a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the UN, Trump expressed confidence that a deal could be reached to end the conflict, although no progress has been made so far.
Zelenskyy remarked, “Ukrainians did not choose this war. We choose not to die. We are defending ourselves.”
This article used information from The Associated Press.
