Key Takeaways From Zelenskiy's Speech
- By Mike Eckel
Short and sweet, Zelenskiy’s speech hit on many of the same points that Ukrainian officials have made repeatedly over the duration of the war.
There were, however, no bombshells, no shocking revelations, no major policy proposals, no graphic accusations of the sort that have regularly been leveled at Russia since its February 2022 invasion.
So what did he say? Here are the some of the main takeaways from his United Nations speech:
- Zelenskiy faithfully kept to the 15-minute time limit imposed by the General Assembly’s leaders, seeming determined to deliver a compelling but pithy plea for unity in support of Ukraine's defense against Russia. "Be united nations," he urged the world.
- He reminded the world of the precarious state of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which has been pounded relentlessly by Russian air strikes. The danger that next winter will be brutal for millions of Ukrainians is high, he said. “Putin wants to leave them in the dark and cold this winter, forcing Ukraine to suffer and surrender. Just imagine, please, your country with 80 percent of its energy system gone – with such a destroyed part of the system. What kind of life would that be?”
- The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the country’s biggest and a major source of electricity, has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022, and fears have run high that there could be some sort of radioactive leak as a result of fighting. During this speech, Zelenskiy outright accused Russian leader Vladimir Putin of planning attacks on nuclear facilities. “God forbid, Russia causes a nuclear disaster at one of our nuclear power plants. Radiation won’t respect state borders, and unfortunately, various nations could feel the devastating effects.”
- Several countries got dinged by name by Zelenskiy, notably China and Brazil, whom he asserted had shown little indication of a genuine push to end the war. "When some propose alternatives, half-hearted settlement plans, so-called sets of principles, it not only ignores the interests and suffering of Ukrainians...it not only ignores reality, but also gives Putin the political space to continue the war…. You will not boost your power at Ukraine's expense."
In his speech, Zelenskiy singled out China for its role in Russia's war against Ukraine. That, said lawmaker Oleksandr Merezhko, marks a potential shift in Kyiv’s previously cautious approach toward Beijing.
"He was bold in his criticism, pointing out that this plan seems to serve Russia’s interests," Merezhko, who heads the international affairs committee in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service. "We can observe a growing willingness from Zelenskiy and his administration to openly call out China’s support for Russia in the war."
Zelenskiy also hinted at Ukraine's concern over the use of satellite data by Russia, possibly provided by third-party nations, which could be used to target Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
The comments followed an earlier interview with ABC News on September 24, where he suggested that Russia might be using Chinese satellite technology to conduct such surveillance.
Zelenskiy’s administration have in the past tried maintain constructive relations with China, despite its strategic partnership with Russia. The UN speech may signal a change in approach.
These remarks reflect an evolving stance from Kyiv, which has previously sought to maintain constructive relations with China, despite its strategic partnership with Russia.
- By Current Time
Zelenskiy’s warning on what he claimed were Russian plans to attack Ukraine’s nuclear power plants was also raised by the Ukrainian leader to the Security Council a day earlier. Zelenskiy told the council’s 15 members that Ukraine had obtained information that Russia was planning to attack its three nuclear plants.
“We have proof of this. If Russia is ready to go that far, it means nothing you value matters to Moscow,” he said.
In the past, Zelenskiy has warned about risks to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya plant. In 2023, Zelenskiy said Russian forces had placed devices resembling explosives on the roofs of that plant’s reactors.
Zelenskiy also told NBC News that year THAT Russia "does want to blow up" the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant:
- By Mike Eckel
Zelenskiy dings the UN Security Council -- where Russia and the four other permanent members hold powerful veto power -- suggesting that it has been an impediment to resolving the war.
He also singles out China and Brazil for proposing alternative resolution plans, suggesting that they’re siding with Russian positions.
“Peace is needed. And it must be a real, just peace,” he said.
“The peace formula has already existed two years. Maybe someone wants a Nobel Prize for a frozen conflict -- but the only prize Putin will give you in return is…more disasters,” he says.
“Slava Ukraini,” Zelenskiy says as he closes his speech: the phrase, which means “Glory to Ukraine,” is effectively the national mantra, a patriotic greeting and expression of solidarity.
- By Mike Eckel
Zelenskiy now highlighting his past peace plans, and appealing to world leaders, to try and highlight the dangers of the war and its consequences spreading beyond Ukraine’s borders.
“It’s important that everyone knows that Ukraine wants to end this war more than anyone else in the world,” he said. “It’s the Ukrainian people who feel the full pain of this war. It is the Ukrainian children who are learning to determine the different sounds of shells” fired in this war,” he said.
“There cannot be a just peace without Ukraine,” he said.
- By Mike Eckel
Zelenskiy, eschewing a formal coat and tie in favor of his trademark blue shirt with a Ukrainian trident, is now speaking. (Unusually, he is speaking English.)
He opens his speech condemning Russia attacks on Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant, in Zaporizhzhya. He says nuclear safety is one of the key points of his “victory plan” and calls for the return of the plant to Ukrainian control.
“Russia has destroyed all our thermal power plants and a large part of our hydroelectric capacity. This is what Putin is hoping for this winter,” he said. “Putin wants to leave [Ukrainians] in the dark, in the cold, to suffer.”
- By Current Time
Current Time, RFE/RL’s 24/7 Russian-language TV channel, will also be streaming Zelenskiy’s speech live, and providing simultaneous Russian translation.
Watch here:
- By Mike Eckel
Topping Zelenskiy’s wish list for his visit to the White House tomorrow: permission to hit Russian targets -- deeper inside of Russia -- using U.S. and other Western weaponry.
It’s a source of endless frustration for Ukrainian commanders, particularly in the face of the threat of Russian glide bombs. Those are “dumb” bombs that have been retrofitted with fins and guidance systems, allowing them to be dropped by jets far from the front lines. The effect is devastating: on neighborhoods, on energy infrastructure, on Ukrainian defensive positions.
Why is the Biden administration reluctant to approve longer-range use by the Ukrainians? It’s not entirely clear, though the wide consensus is that the administration fears crossing a Russian red line -- provoking a bigger, and more dangerous, Russian response.
Will Zelenskiy win over the Biden administration? Stay tuned.