“Historical past exhibits it was Russia who deserved nuclear disarmament probably the most again within the Nineteen Nineties, and Russia deserves it now,” Zelenskyy declared. “Terrorists don’t have any proper to carry nuclear weapons.”
Zelenskyy additional recounted alleged Russian atrocities within the battle, together with the compelled deportations of hundreds of Ukrainian kids, and warned that Russia wouldn’t cease at Ukraine. He highlighted Moscow’s previous navy interventions in Moldova and Georgia, and Russia’s help of the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad through the nation’s civil conflict.
“Every decade, Russia begins a brand new conflict,” Zelenskyy stated. “Many seats within the Common Meeting corridor could grow to be empty if Russia succeeds with its treachery and aggression.”
This was Zelenskyy’s first in-person look on the annual U.N. gathering since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
He got here intent on courting as many international locations from Latin America, Africa and Asia as doable to aspect with Ukraine in opposition to Russia.
Many of those international locations have tried to remain impartial within the conflict, unwilling to anger Russia — and by extension China, which has backed Russia within the battle.
Though most of the international locations have signed on to previous U.N. Common Meeting resolutions condemning Russia’s aggression, they haven’t taken stronger strikes, resembling lowering purchases of Russian vitality merchandise or imposing U.S. and European sanctions on the Kremlin.
That has stored the Russian economic system afloat, undermining Ukraine’s possibilities of defeating the Kremlin.
Zelenskyy made overtures to a few of these nations in his speech, focusing particularly on Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian grain exports and its manipulation of the worldwide vitality market.
Condemning Moscow’s choice to exit the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a Turkish-brokered deal which allowed shipments of Ukrainian grain to exit the Black Sea and attain the worldwide meals market, Zelenskyy stated that Russia’s actions amounted to a “weaponization” of meals.
Zelenskyy went on to focus on Ukraine’s system for peace and known as on the U.N. to “finish the aggression” and reject “shady dealings.”
Zelenskyy additionally criticized Russia for “utilizing vitality as a weapon” and for its efforts to “flip different international locations’ energy vegetation into actual soiled bombs,” pointing to Russia’s assaults on the Zaporizhya nuclear energy plant in Ukraine final yr.
Zelenskyy is predicted to seem at a particular U.N. Safety Council assembly on Ukraine on Wednesday.
He’ll then head to Washington, the place he’ll meet with members of Congress, navy officers and President Joe Biden and his prime aides.
