Zelenskyy urges UN to squeeze Russia's revenues and weaken war effort

Unitednations,UPDATED: Sep 24, 2026 00:22 IST

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday urged world leaders to keep squeezing Russia’s revenues and block its war effort, telling the UN General Assembly that “Russia’s revenues must remain a target”. He said any country that gives Russia more money through trade is giving the war more time.

Zelenskyy’s remarks came as Russia prepared to address the General Assembly on Saturday through Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, with President Vladimir Putin again staying away from the gathering. Earlier on Wednesday, Lavrov told the UN Security Council that Russia was ready to negotiate a lasting peace but would not agree to simply “pause” the war, saying such a break would allow Ukraine and its backers to secure more weapons.

Speaking in English at the General Assembly, Zelenskyy said: “When someone gives Russia more money through trade, they give this war more time. And that is exactly why we insist on limiting trade with the aggressor, and why we are burning Russia’s revenues ourselves.”

He also took aim at Putin directly, saying: “Something always seems to stop Putin from saying, That’s it. Enough, Peace.” Zelenskyy added, “Can you even imagine him without war? He is ‘Patient Zero’, the one from whom war keeps spreading further. ... ‘Patient Zero’ must be stopped.”

Russia invaded Ukraine more than 4 years ago. Western analysts estimate that more than 500,000 Russian troops have been killed and that Ukraine has recorded more than 500,000 military casualties, including up to 140,000 deaths. Neither country discloses its own casualty totals.

The war has had global repercussions for fuel, fertiliser and grain shipments, and has also widened geopolitical divisions between Russia and the West. With front-line positions in eastern and southern Ukraine largely unchanged since last year, both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up long-range attacks using drones and missiles.

Zelenskyy used his UN address to press countries to keep targeting Russia’s income and restricting trade, while Russia maintained that it was open to a lasting settlement but not to a temporary halt in the fighting.

With PTI Inputs

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