‘Most destructive arms race in human history’: Zelensky appeals at UN for intervention to stop Russia, after Trump’s statement that Ukraine could conquer back all its territories lost in war
Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed to global leaders to intervene to prevent Russia from leading the world through “the most destructive arms race in human history”, warning that the combination of drone technology and artificial intelligence would end in catastrophe.
Speaking to the UN general assembly, the Ukrainian president tried to galvanise not just the west but also China. His account of how Russia is using technology to change the face of war was the opposite of Donald Trump’s claim that Russia’s military may only be “a paper tiger.”
In his pledge to make the world support Ukraine even more, he said that Vladimir Putin, unchecked, would use drones to expand war throughout Europe. “The facts are simple. Stopping this war now, and with it the global arms race, is cheaper than building underground kindergartens or massive bunkers for critical infrastructure later,” he told the UN. “Stopping Putin now is cheaper than trying to protect every port and every ship from terrorists. Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be forced to create a simple drone with a nuclear warhead.”
Ten years ago, he said, “war looked different and no one could have imagined that cheap drones could create death zones stretching for dozens of kilometres where nothing moves, no vehicles, no life. People used to imagine that only after a nuclear strike. Now it is drone reality, and without AI yet.”
He said he had warned Europe before about Russia’s intentions “and now Russian drones are flying across Europe”. No one could be immune to the spread of war, he said, adding: “We are living through the most destructive arms race in human history.”
Zelensky gave no overall evaluation of the war in Ukraine nor did he refer directly to Trump’s surprise claim it would be possible for Ukraine to recapture all the lands that it had lost to Russia since 2022, saying simply he had a good meeting on Sept 23 with the US president.
He said in the modern world “only friends and weapons” protected countries, and not international law or UN resolutions.
Zelensky also said that Europe could not afford to lose neighbouring Moldova to Russian influence. The country’s prime minister, Dorin Recean, recently claimed Russia was spending hundreds of millions of euros to “take power” in a pivotal parliamentary election that could derail Moldova’s course toward the EU.
Before Zelensky’s speech, Moscow had brushed off the shift in tone from Trump, including his claim Russia had been “fighting aimlessly for three and a half years”, a stark contrast to the red-carpet treatment he laid out for Putin at a summit in Alaska last month.
The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, attributed the comments to the fact Trump had just met Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN general assembly in New York. “Of course, President Trump heard Zelensky’s version of events. And apparently at this point, this version is the reason for the assessment we heard.”
Peskov said the Russian army was making gains in Ukraine, albeit slowly. Putin “has repeatedly stated this – we are moving forward very carefully to minimise losses ……. These are very deliberate actions,” he claimed.
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president now better known for his outlandish rhetoric, wrote on Telegram that Zelensky had lured Trump into an “alternate reality” where Ukraine could win the war. But Medvedev added that he was confident Trump would soon modify course.
“I have no doubt, he’ll be back. He always comes back. Most likely he’ll soon tell [Zelensky] to sign an act of capitulation,” Medvedev wrote.
Russian military bloggers seized on Trump’s remarks, portraying them as a sign he was seeking to edge away from the war and create distance from a conflict he once vowed to end within days.
“The US is trying to wash its hands so it won’t lose its face if Ukraine collapses,” wrote Dva Mayora, a Telegram channel with ties to the Russian defence ministry.
On Sept 23 Trump gave an upbeat assessment of Ukraine’s prospects in the war, claiming Russia was in big economic trouble. It was one of the strongest statements of support he had given to Kyiv in recent months.
He said if the Russian public found out what was “really going on with this war”, the Ukrainians could launch a counteroffensive in which they would “take back all the territory occupied by Russia – and, who knows, maybe even go further than that”.
Trump further berated European countries for “embarrassing” purchases of Russian oil and gas, demanding they “immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia” or “otherwise we are all wasting a lot of time”.
The EU has sharply reduced its consumption of Russian oil and gas since 2022 and bought 19% of its gas and 3% of oil from Russia in 2024, down from 45% and 27% before the war in Ukraine.
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said that she and Trump during a bilateral meeting at the UN had “agreed on the need to cut Russia’s revenues from fossil fuels, and fast”. In her account of the meeting, von der Leyen said: “By 2027, Europe will have turned the page on Russian fossil fuels for good.”
Last week von der Leyen announced plans to phase out Russian liquified natural gas purchases by 2027, a year earlier than planned. The commission also announced plans to expand sanctions to 118 vessels in Russia’s shadow fleet, poorly maintained tankers that are used to transport Russian oil to foreign buyers evading western price restrictions.
But the EU has not yet ended an exemption from buying Russian oil that was granted to Hungary and Slovakia in 2022. Both central European countries have rejected the plan to phase out Russian fossil fuels despite pressure from Trump, an ally of the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
The EU needs unanimity to agree on sanctions, although measures to restrict trade can be approved by a majority. It remains unclear when and how the latest proposals will be agreed, with senior EU diplomats expected to discuss the plans in the coming days.
yogaesoteric
September 25, 2025