On Wednesday, September 24, 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine delivered a powerful and sobering address to the United Nations General Assembly, warning world leaders that the international institutions created to safeguard peace are now too weak to stop wars. Speaking against the iconic green marble backdrop, Zelenskyy’s words carried a sense of urgency and frustration, as he urged countries to step up and join Ukraine’s security coalition while increasing pressure on Russia to halt its ongoing invasion.
“No one but ourselves can guarantee security,” Zelenskyy declared, according to the United Nations. “Only strong alliances. Only strong partners. And only our own weapons.” His message was clear: international law and promises, without the backing of military might and committed allies, are not enough to protect nations from aggression. He lamented, “Nations can speak about their pain from stages like this, but even during bloodshed, there isn’t a single international institution that can truly stop it.”
Zelenskyy’s speech painted a stark picture of a world where, as he put it, “weapons decide who survives.” He described this as a “terrible” but unavoidable reality, especially for countries like Ukraine, which has been fending off Russian attacks since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. “Ukrainians are peaceful people, but they are people who want to live freely in their own independent country. That’s why we invest in defence. For many nations, there is simply no other way left,” he said.
He pointed to ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Somalia, and Palestine as further evidence that the global system is failing to prevent bloodshed or deliver meaningful solutions. “That’s how weak these institutions have become,” he said. “For decades, just statements and statements.”
The Ukrainian president’s remarks were not only a critique of the current state of international diplomacy but also a call to action. He warned that the weaknesses of global institutions are fueling a new and dangerous arms race, one that is now being reshaped by advances in artificial intelligence. “Dear leaders, we are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history because this time, it includes artificial intelligence,” Zelenskyy cautioned. “We need global rules now for how AI can be used in weapons. And this is just as urgent as preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.”
Ukraine, out of necessity, has become a leader in developing attack and sea drones, which have been used to push back the Russian navy in the Black Sea and strike strategic bombers. “None of this would have happened if [Russian President Vladimir] Putin had not started this full-scale aggression,” Zelenskyy stressed. He argued that stopping the war in Ukraine is not just about his country’s survival but about preventing a future where cheap, AI-powered drones could carry nuclear warheads, threatening the entire world.
“Stopping this war now and within the global arms race is cheaper than building underground kindergartens or massive bunkers for critical infrastructure later,” he said. “Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be the first to create a simple drone carrying a nuclear warhead.”
The dangers are not just theoretical. Zelenskyy highlighted recent Russian drone and fighter jet incursions into Poland and Estonia, as well as interference in Moldova, warning that the conflict is spilling beyond Ukraine’s borders. “Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova,” he insisted, adding that supporting the country’s stability was “not costly, but failing to do so would come at a much higher price.”
He also drew attention to the repeated blackouts at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, which went dark again just a day before his speech. The risk of a nuclear disaster, he said, is ever-present as long as fighting continues around the facility.
Zelenskyy’s address came just a day after a high-profile meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in New York. In a surprising move, Trump posted on Truth Social that he now supports Ukraine retaking all territory currently occupied by Russia—a significant shift from his earlier position, which had suggested Kyiv would need to cede land for peace. “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form,” Trump wrote. The statement was welcomed as a diplomatic win for Zelenskyy, though many in Ukraine remained skeptical of Trump’s commitment, given his history of changing positions on the conflict.
Mykola Kniazhytsky, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, remarked, “Nothing about the role of the United States. Nothing about expanding military or economic assistance.” Others, such as Viktor Shlinchak of the Institute of World Policy, expressed caution: “What happens next may be as written, or it may be the other way around.” Even the Kremlin dismissed Trump’s comments, with spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov stating, “Russia is more associated with a bear—and there are no paper bears.”
Despite the diplomatic drama, the situation on the ground remains dire. According to military analysts cited by The New York Times, Ukraine has reclaimed about 140 square miles in September, but Russia still controls roughly 20 percent of Ukrainian territory. Russian forces continue long-distance strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, while Ukraine has targeted key facilities in Russia, such as oil refineries and drone production sites. Since August, Ukraine claims to have carried out at least 25 successful strikes on Russian oil refineries, many of which have been verified by independent analysts.
Meanwhile, Russia’s military spending is straining its budget, with the deficit reaching $50 billion and proposals to raise taxes for defense funding. President Trump has argued that Russia is “in BIG Economic trouble,” pointing to long lines at gas stations, though Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed such claims.
For Zelenskyy, the lesson of recent history is clear: international promises, like the 1994 Budapest Memorandum that was supposed to guarantee Ukraine’s security in exchange for giving up nuclear weapons, can quickly become “blabbering” if not backed by real action. “We count on the United States of America as a backstop,” he told the U.N. Security Council. But even as he seeks expanded military and economic support, he knows that much of Ukraine’s fate will depend on the willingness of other nations to act.
“So don’t stay silent while Russia keeps dragging this war on,” Zelenskyy urged. “Please speak out and condemn it. Please join us in defending life and international law and order. People are waiting for action.”
As the world watches, Zelenskyy’s message is one of both warning and hope: that collective action, not just words, can still make a difference in a world teetering on the edge of new dangers.
