Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on world leaders attending this week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York to exert “strong political pressure” on Russia as the war in Ukraine continues.
Zelenskyy shared a statement on social media Monday morning following a large-scale overnight Russian drone attack across multiple Ukrainian cities including Donetsk, Dnipro, Sumy, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. At least three people were killed in Zaporizhzhia, Zelenskyy confirmed, while Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting or suppressing 132 out of 141 drones launched by Russia.
“This is the fourth time Russia has used such deadly attacks to coincide with major global diplomatic events,” Zelenskyy said, emphasizing the urgency for this week’s diplomatic efforts to yield concrete results. “We must act to ensure that killings and war no longer become the norm.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy urged Europe, the USA, the G7, and G20 those with influence over Russia to impose strong sanctions and political pressure, holding Moscow accountable for its aggression. Despite ongoing U.S.-led peace talks, no ceasefire has been reached, and fighting remains intense across multiple fronts, with recent Russian drone incursions even violating NATO airspace in Poland, Romania, and Estonia.
The UN Security Council has called an emergency meeting at Estonia’s request to discuss recent Russian violations of its airspace. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President is expected to meet with former U.S. President Donald Trump in New York, though Ukrainian officials remain cautious given Trump’s reluctance to implement tougher sanctions on Russia.
While Ukrainian President welcomes diplomatic discussions, he warns that the devastating toll on civilians and infrastructure continues to mount with no end in sight, underlining the critical need for unified international action against Russian aggression.
