Zelensky spoke at the UN: 'There are no security guarantees without friends and weapons'

Volodimir Zelensky addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. In his speech, the Ukrainian president warned that the international order is collapsing and that multilateral institutions no longer provide effective protection against aggression such as Russia’s. According to Zelensky, the only real defense comes from strong allies and weapons.

"There are no security guarantees without friends and weapons. If we don't do something, there won't be a place left on the face of the earth that is safe for human beings; we need standards for using these kinds of armaments with the help of artificial intelligence," the Ukrainian leader stated.

Belonging to NATO does not guarantee security

Zelensky also stressed that even NATO membership would not guarantee Ukraine’s security against the Russian offensive.

"Because international institutions are too weak,this madness continues. Even being part of the long-standing military alliance does not automatically mean that you are safe," Zelensky told the U.N. General Assembly.

"Of course, we are doing everything we can to make sure that Europe helps and, of course, we count on the United States," the Ukrainian leader said.

Zelensky praises Donald Trump

The Ukrainian leader also offered words of thanks and praise to the president, whom he had met with the day before. During their meeting, Trump told Zelensky that Kiev could regain all the territory it lost during the Russian invasion.

"We had a good meeting with President Trump, and I also spoke with many other strong leaders, and together we can change many things," the Ukrainian president said.

President Trump’s words mark a complete reversal of his position on the conflict. Until now, the Republican leader had been critical of Zelensky and had sought to pave the way for a peace agreement with Vladimir Putin

Europe cannot lose Moldova

On the other hand, Zelensky warned of the danger to Europe if it were to lose influence over Moldova to Russia, noting that this has already happened with Belarus and Georgia.

"Russia is trying to do with Moldova what Iran once did with Lebanon, and the global response, again, is not enough.We have already lost Georgia to Europe... and, for many, many years, Belarus has also been moving toward dependence on Russia. Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova as well," the Ukrainian leader said.