Zelensky urges UN to keep Ukraine at the center as General Assembly opens

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to address the United Nations General Assembly on the opening day of the gathering, pressing world leaders to keep Kyiv at the center of international diplomacy as Russia's invasion nears its fourth year.

Zelensky is expected to call for sustained Western support, stronger sanctions on Moscow, and a unified front against Russia's ambitions. He will argue that a resolute international response is essential to deter further aggression and safeguard global security.

Global instability is widening, with conflicts from Gaza to Sudan adding pressure on international institutions and testing alliances that Kyiv has counted on since the invasion began in 2022. Observers say the world has grown more unstable as the war's toll stretches across borders and the West debates how to respond, including whether to bolster sanctions, weapon supplies, or asset seizures to target Moscow's war economy.

Some observers note that shifts in U.S. policy after the re-election of President Donald Trump have complicated Ukraine's defense, with critics arguing that the balance of support has shifted and responsibility has moved toward Europe and other Western allies under strain. Kyiv, for its part, continues to frame the crisis as a direct challenge to the post-World War II order and a test of how far Western unity will hold.

Ukraine's leaders warn that Russia remains capable of new aggression even as diplomatic efforts falter. The Kremlin has intensified strikes on Ukrainian towns and infrastructure, and Moscow's broader goals appear to hinge on testing Western resolve and exploiting any rifts within alliance structures. The war's toll is measured not only in lives lost but in the disruption of daily life, the destruction of homes, and the long-term harms posed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.

The toll inside Ukraine is staggering. The conflict has cost hundreds of thousands of lives on the front lines and in communities across the country. International aid organizations estimate that more than 80,000 Ukrainians are in need of a prosthetic as a result of injuries sustained in the fighting. Ukraine has also become the most landmine-contaminated country in the world, with almost 30% of its territory affected—an area larger than the entire country of Greece. The presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance continues to hamper civilian life and reconstruction long after fighting ceases on battlefields.

For civilians, the danger can arrive in an instant. It takes about three seconds for a landmine to detonate, a stark reminder of the everyday peril faced by communities across conflict zones. The human cost, coupled with the ongoing military threat, underlines why Ukraine has sought to keep the crisis at the forefront of international attention.

Ukraine's leadership emphasizes that responsibility for the war rests with Vladimir Putin, arguing that the Russian president could end the conflict tomorrow by withdrawing forces and honoring international law. Kyiv has called for accountability for the aggression and for a unified international response that would deter future encroachments and support Ukraine's sovereignty and self-determination.

As world leaders convene in New York, Zelensky's appearance continues a pattern—the fourth year running—of insisting that Ukraine's struggle is central to global stability. The General Assembly's discussions this week are expected to shape the diplomatic landscape, including how to sustain assistance, enforce sanctions, and coordinate weapons support, as well as how to address broader humanitarian and geopolitical shifts that have redefined the postwar order. The outcome of these debates will influence not only Kyiv's future but the trajectory of international cooperation in an era of fragmentation and renewed great-power competition.