Zelensky warns of Putin, AI, wider war

Ukrainian leader tells U.N. that Russia must be stopped amid 'most destructive arms race.'

- BY EDITH M. LEDERER

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told global leaders Wednesday that the world is in "the most destructive arms race in human history" and urged the international community to act against Russia now, asserting that Vladimir Putin wants to expand his war in Europe.

In a bleak view of today's world, he told the annual high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly that weak international institutions including the United Nations haven't been able to stop wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere, and that international law can't help nations survive.

"Weapons decide who survives," the Ukrainian leader said. "There are no security guarantees except friends and weapons."

Zelensky spoke from the podium of the vast assembly chamber a day after he met with President Trump, who expressed support for Ukraine's efforts and criticized Russia.

Trump said Tuesday that he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from the U.S. leader’s repeated calls for Kyiv to make concessions to end the war sparked by Russian President Putin’s February 2022 invasion of its smaller neighbor.

Zelensky did not comment on the surprise U.S. pivot, saying only that he had “a good meeting” with Trump and with many other “strong leaders.”