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UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR Zelenskyy has said international institiions are “too weak” in stopping Russia, warning the United Nations that NATO cannot guarantee Kyiv’s security.
“Nations can speak about their pain from stages like this, but even during bloodshed, there isn’t a signal international institution that can truly stop it,” he said. “That’s how weak these institutions have become.”
“And because international institutions are too weak, this madness continues,” Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly in New York.
Yesterday, US President Donald Trump suggested Ukraine could now win the war against Russia and retake all its territory.
The Ukrainian leader described his meeting with Trump as “good,” despite the president having previously ruled out NATO membership for Kyiv and clashing with him earlier this year in Washington.
“Of course we are doing everything to make sure Europe truly helps, and of course we count on the United States,” Zelenskyy said.
Following his speech, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is also attending the UN General Assembly this week, told US counterpart Marco Rubio that Kyiv and European countries were to blame for prolonging the conflict in Ukraine.
In a meeting with Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Lavrov “stressed the unacceptability of the schemes promoted by Kyiv and some European capitals aimed at prolonging the conflict”.
Rubio issued a blunt call to his Russian counterpart to halt the “killing” in Ukraine.
Trump’s suggestion on Tuesday that Ukraine could win, provided they had European Union and NATO support, marked a dramatic reversal after months of insisting Kyiv would not regain large areas seized by Russia.
“Maybe even go further than that!” Trump added in a post on social media.
Zelenskyy also cautioned that Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova to Russian influence, warning that Moscow is using disinformation and hybrid tactics similar to those deployed in Belarus and Georgia.
“Russia’s trying to do to Moldova what Iran once did to Lebanon… Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova too,” he said, ahead of elections in the country on Sunday.
The president further sounded the alarm about a new arms race involving artificial intelligence and autonomous drones.
“We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history, because this time it includes artificial intelligence,” Zelenskyy said.
“Ukraine doesn’t have the big fat missiles dictators love to show off in parades, but we do have drones that can fly up to 2,000, 3,000 kilometers. We had no choice but to build them to protect our right to life.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin met Trump briefly yesterday evening at a host dinner hosted by the US president for world leaders attending the UN General Assembly.
“From remarks made by the president last evening I think he realises now that President Putin is not interested in peace and not interested in the ceasefire,” said the Taoiseach.
“Despite Trump’s treaties and his desire to see the war end, Putin has responded to those peace initiatives with an intensification of bombing and attacks on Ukraine and on civilian infrastructures. So Europe has to stand strong,” Martin said,
He added that the war “has taken its toll” on Ukraine, Russia and Europe.
“I think any sensible person would want this to come to an end, President Putin needs to respond. Too many young people are losing their lives on the battlefront. It is shocking the scale of loss of human life, it needs to be brought to an end,” he said.
Martin also told reporters that Ireland will continue to provide “substantial support” in the form of humanitarian aid and de-mining training and equipment.
Earlier today, the Taoiseach attended the 5th Summit of the International Crimea Platform, which Zelenskyy also attended.
The Taoiseach said Russia is intentionally intensifying its air attacks against Ukraine’s towns and cities, deliberately targeting civilians and essential infrastructure.
“These are not the actions of a country seeking peace,” he said.
Martin said he is deeply concerned about the reports of human rights abuses in Russian-occupied Crimea and in all the Ukrainian territories illegally held by Russia.
“Russian efforts to change the demographic composition of the peninsula, its attack on the Ukrainian language, culture and identity, and its callous suppression of the Crimean Tatar community must be strongly condemned,” he said.
With reporting from AFP
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