Zelensky addresses world leaders at UN urging global action to choke Russia's war effort and end conflict

From the Newshound archive · first published 24 September 2026.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking to reporters after a meeting with President Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, warned that Vladimir Putin — frustrated by his inability to defeat Ukraine — may now turn his aggression toward neighbouring European countries in an effort to fracture Western unity. Zelensky described Putin as "patient zero" carrying the contagion of war into Africa, Asia and beyond, and urged allies to cut off Russia's revenues before that contagion spreads further. He also argued that every active conflict today must be brought to a close before AI starts making decisions on the battlefield — a threshold he warned could be reached as soon as next year.

Zelensky said Putin's strategy is to attack a third country and warn the West: 'I will go further if you do not stop this.'

A Russian AI-guided drone killed three Ukrainians last month, including a 19-year-old student, sharpening fears over autonomous weapons.

Trump rejected warnings about AI at his own UN speech, calling them a 'globalist scheme' and rebranding the technology as 'super intelligence.'