Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the United Nations of failing to live up to its purpose, calling it a weak institution incapable of halting wars.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, September 24, Zelensky lamented that global forums have become powerless in the face of bloodshed.
“Nations can speak about their pain from stages like this, but even during bloodshed, there isn’t a single international institution that can truly stop it,” he said. “That’s how weak these institutions have become. And because international institutions are too weak, this madness continues… Weapons decide who survives.”
The Ukrainian leader argued that an arms race now dictates international relations, with organizations like the UN Security Council unable to enforce peace. Russia’s veto power has repeatedly blocked binding resolutions, including sanctions and military action.
Zelensky’s remarks came a day after he secured a political boost from U.S. President Donald Trump, who pledged support for Ukraine’s bid to reclaim all Russian-occupied territory—an apparent shift from earlier suggestions that Kyiv might need to cede land for peace.
In his own UN address, Trump floated the possibility of new economic pressure on Moscow but said U.S. action would depend on Europe committing to join, a prospect complicated by political hurdles across the continent.