Zelenskyy in UN says stop Russia’s war now or face most destructive arms race in history

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday to act decisively to end Russia’s invasion, warning that failure to do so risks igniting a dangerous global arms race.

Speaking before the 193-member body, Zelenskyy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of seeking to push the war beyond Ukraine’s borders. He pointed to alleged violations of Nato airspace by Russian drones and jets as evidence of Moscow’s wider ambitions.

“Now Russian drones are already flying across Europe, and Russian operations are already spreading across countries,” Zelenskyy said. “Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it, and no one can feel safe right now.”

The Ukrainian leader said the conflict had already triggered “the most destructive arms race in history” and cautioned that the cost of inaction would be far greater in the long run.

“The facts are simple, stopping this war … is cheaper than building underground kindergartens or massive bunkers for critical infrastructure later,” he told delegates.

UKRAINE TO EXPORT WEAPONS TO ALLIES

Zelenskyy also announced that Ukraine would begin exporting domestically produced weapons to allied nations, offering equipment that has been battle-tested in the ongoing war.

“You don’t need to start this race from scratch. We’re ready to share what has already proven itself,” he said.

The president argued that Ukraine’s defence industry could provide immediate support to other nations concerned about their own security.

“We are ready to make our modern weapons become your modern security,” he added. “We have decided to open up arms export. And these are powerful systems tested in a real war when every international institution failed.”

“None of this would have happened if (Russian President Vladimir) Putin had not started this full-scale aggression,” he said.

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