Striking a different tone at the UN Security Council meeting on September 24 was Peter Szijjarto, foreign minister of Hungary, arguably the most Kremlin-friendly country within the EU.
Noting that weapons deliveries by the West to Ukraine have “absolutely not helped in bringing this war to an end,” Szijjarto said that the question now is what “is the quickest way to peace?”
Echoing that stance, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi claimed that the more weapons are sent to the battlefield, the more difficult it is to achieve the goal of a cease-fire. He noted that “China has all along stood on the side of peace.”
- By Ivan Voronin
Zelenskiy’s U.S. trip and his talk of a “victory plan” have once again generated discussion and debate about the possibility of a negotiated settlement, but the sides remain very far apart. Zelenskiy told The New Yorker that “the victory plan is a plan that swiftly strengthens Ukraine. A strong Ukraine will force Putin to the negotiating table.”
In comments on an RFE/RL Russian Service program, political scientist Ivan Preobrezhensky pointed out that Putin has suggested Russia would not consider ceding any Ukrainian territory it has taken and, furthermore, wants to be handed the portions of four eastern and southern provinces that it does not control.
“Russia wants to get Kherson back and take Zaporizhzhye, without a fight and then, perhaps, if its conditions are satisfied, it will start some kind of peace talks,” Preobrazhensky said. “If you are given city after city without a fight, why negotiate peace? It seems that Moscow's position is simple: to get involved in any negotiation process from the toughest possible positions, and then see what can be bargained.”
Among the world leaders Zelenskiy has been meeting with in New York: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who is stepping down as head of transatlantic alliance this year. He reassured Zelenskiy that Ukraine's future is in NATO:
For his part, Zelenskiy said he and Stoltenberg discussed increasing Ukraine’s air-defense capabilities.
“We discussed the need to strengthen Ukraine's air defense, the continuation of work to ensure that our country receives an invitation to join NATO as soon as possible, and the importance of timely implementation of all the agreements of the Washington Summit,” Zelenskiy wrote in a post to his Telegram channel.
Ahead of the Zelenskiy speech, there was more bad news for the Ukrainian military from the front line in eastern Ukraine.
Ivan Tymochko, head of Ukraine's Council of Reservists, told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service that Russia's invading forces were advancing on the frontline town of Vuhledar. "The Russian Army is trying to advance on the flanks, where they simply found an opportunity,” Tymochko said.
Asked about a possible Ukrainian troop withdrawal from Vuhledar, Tymochko said that would be considered if the city is destroyed. “If it is completely destroyed, if the urban structure is in ruins and there will be no possibility to build a high-quality defense, then perhaps the troops will be withdrawn,” he said.
Among other speakers at the UN Security Council on September 24 was Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, who accused Russia of “kidnapping” children from Ukraine and sending them to Russia, noting President Vladimir Putin was facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court just for that.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Russia was trying to “return to the world of the past. A world of imperialism…” Lammy also said that “as a Black man whose ancestors were taken in chains from Africa and whose ancestors fought in a great rebellion of the enslaved, that he recognized imperialism: “I know it when I see it. And I will call it out for what it is.”
Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu stressed that the war is undermining the security of the wider Black Sea area and challenging neighboring states’ stability.
Zelenskiy has already spoken at the United Nations this week, addressing the Security Council on September 24.
In that speech, Zelenskiy stressed that “Russia can only be forced into peace,” adding: “Russia is committing an international crime.”
He also urged that Russia’s invasion of his country not be overshadowed by conflicts elsewhere, including the war in Gaza. “This war can’t simply fade away; this war can’t be calmed by talks. Actions are needed,” Zelenskiy said.
KYIV -- "Russia is trying very hard to convince the world that the countries of the Global South are ready to turn a blind eye to unprovoked Russian aggression,” Oleksandra Matviychuk, head of a Ukrainian human rights group that was a co-winner of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service.
Matviychuk, who leads the Center for Civil Liberties, helped spearhead a call for Russia’s suspension from the General Assembly. She sent a letter with the request, signed by over 20 former Latin American foreign ministers, as well as rights activist from Ukraine and Latin America, to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The appeal is “of great importance,” she said. “In November, a meeting of the G20 will be held in Brazil. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin specifically made a visit to Mongolia to set a precedent when a country party to the Rome Statute violates its obligations regarding his arrest. So this appeal to the UN secretary-general demonstrates that this time it will not be so easy for Putin to pull the same trick."
Putin's trip to Mongolia earlier this month was his first visit to a member state of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since it issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president in March 2023. The warrant is related to the illegal repatriation and relocation of children from areas of Ukraine seized by Russia following Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
While in the U.S., Zelenskiy is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden and is also hoping to meet with top congressional leaders.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson, however, seemed to rule out such a meeting, telling reporters on September 24, “I don’t think we are actually going to be in town on Thursday. We have our schedule changed on the floor. So, it’s very fluid.”
So far, a meeting between Zelenskiy and Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump has not been confirmed as well.
PRAGUE -- Comments earlier this week by Czech President Petr Pavel, a former senior NATO general and vocal ally of Ukraine, not only raised eyebrows but did not go over well in Kyiv.
Speaking to The New York Times, Pavel said that the “most probable outcome" of the war “will be that a part of Ukrainian territory will be under Russian occupation temporarily.” But he added that the “temporary thing” could last years.
In reaction, a Ukrainian Foreign Ministry statement said, “We emphasize that there can be no middle-ground solutions when it comes to human lives, freedom, common values, justice for Russia’s crimes, and the restoration of international peace and security.”
ZAPORIZHZHYA, Ukraine -- Hours before Zelenskiy was due to speak, Russia launched another aerial attack on the central city of Zaporizhzhya, injuring at least seven people and causing widespread damage.
Olena, who lives across the street from one of the buildings that was hit, told RFE/RL she felt lucky: “My child was just doing his homework in front of the window and I just grabbed him. Thank God, at least we’re alive,” she said.
It was the third night in a row that Zaporizhzhya was hit by Russian missiles, specifically KAB guided glide bombs, which are retrofitted Soviet-era weapons that Russia has deployed heavily in eastern Ukraine.