Zelenskyi calls at UN to deprive Kremlin of resources for financing war
Economic pressure and restricting aggressor's revenues
Volodymyr Zelenskyi devoted a significant portion of his address to the need to deprive Russia of the financial resources it needs to continue hostilities.
The head of state stressed that any trade with the aggressor directly extends the war, which is why Ukraine insists on strict trade restrictions while reducing Russian revenues on its own. He also urged the international community not to make mistakes in sanctions policy.
"Many of you have seen more than once how the abuse of the veto power in the UN weakens the world and pushes peace away. When Russia has money, it always says 'no' to diplomacy, and this is also a kind of veto on peace. And when someone in the world weakens sanctions, weakens sanctions against Russian oligarchs, it may make the lives of rich Russians more comfortable. But it also gives the war more time. More time for Putin to send the poor into the kill zone," Zelenskyi stated.
According to the Ukrainian leader, Russian revenues must remain the primary target of pressure. He noted that Russia's budget deficit is currently larger than in any previous year, with most Russian regions effectively bankrupt.
Scale of missile and drone terror
The President of Ukraine separately highlighted the intensity of Russian aerial attacks. Since the beginning of 2026, Russia has launched over 2,100 missiles of various types against Ukraine, including more than 950 ballistic missiles.
Additionally, in the eight months of this year, the aggressor state launched 63,000 attack drones at Ukrainian cities.
Zelenskyi noted that the upcoming winter could prove very difficult for Ukraine. Still, if attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure continue, Kyiv "will have no choice but to make it painful for Russia as well."
Russian army losses in 2026
Addressing the situation on the front line, Volodymyr Zelenskyi cited statistics on losses among occupation troops over the past eight months. According to the president, from January to August 2026 alone, the Russian army lost nearly 249,000 personnel killed on the battlefield.
Against the backdrop of these losses, the president noted that in 2026, Russia captured only slightly more than 1,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, a significant portion of which the Ukrainian Defense Forces have already liberated.
He also added that Putin recently promised US presidential representatives once again to capture the Donetsk region in "a few months." According to Zelenskyi, this marks roughly the eighteenth such promise over the past five years.
Use of foreign mercenaries in the war
In the concluding part of his speech, Zelenskyi raised the issue of the Kremlin's involvement of foreign citizens in combat operations. He reported that Ukraine recently handed over two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.
"One of them, realizing he was being captured, attempted suicide and was shocked that fate did not let him die. That is how people are raised in North Korea. This is reality. Their right to choose is stripped away, and it is hammered into their heads that they must die no matter what," Zelenskyi recounted.
The head of state emphasized that, overall, Russia uses citizens from 47 countries in its war against Ukraine, including:
Background
The 81st session of the UN General Assembly is taking place in New York. Volodymyr Zelenskyi arrived in New York on September 22 to participate in the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, with his speech delivered on September 23.
During the visit, the President of Ukraine planned approximately 20 meetings, including with the US President. The scheduled events also included signing the new Drone Deal and discussing further reinforcement of Ukraine's air defense.
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25 of September 2026
