'Ukrainians did not choose this war. We choose not to die,' Zelensky says to UN General Assembly as he calls for peace
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President Volodymyr Zelensky, on Sept. 23, addressed the U.N. General Assembly, calling for continued support for Ukraine, stressing the importance of negotiations, and warning that Ukrainians will continue to fight back against Russia.
"Yes, sometimes it may seem that Ukraine is focused only on war because we speak about weapons, we speak about defense, and sanctions against the aggressor. But Ukrainians did not choose this war. We choose not to die, not to lose our country, our families, not to lose our independence, our freedom," Zelensky said in his address.
As Russia continues to wage war, its budget deficit is bigger than in any year prior, and most of Russia's regions are bankrupt, Zelensky said, adding that all major Russian operations on the frontline this summer failed.
"No Russian official ever imagined that 'Army General Winter ', which had fought on Russia's side for centuries, would one day switch sides and support those defending themselves from Russia. We will make that happen this winter if Russia continues to target our energy system and our heating," Zelensky said.
Russia never expected Ukraine to be able to target military factories in Siberia, deep within the country, when it began its war, he added.
Zelensky noted that Ukraine's cause is about protecting critical infrastructure, food security, protecting lives, and slowing down the development of lethal weapons used for killing.
"We need to slow it down before we reach the next stage because as early as next year there is a real possibility that AI, not only people, will begin to decide what happens on the battlefield, and we need peace before we reach that point," he said.
Zelensky described Russian President Vladimir Putin as "patient zero" who began Russia's war and said that "the longer Putin is able to wage war, the more evil he will leave behind in this world" once he is gone.
"Ukrainians understand that this winter could be very harsh for us, but in response we will have no choice but to make it painful for Russia too. And that's exactly why we say de-escalation steps are important, are needed before winter," he said amid several failed attempts to broker a peace deal or ceasefire.
Zelensky also said that Russia is enlisting citizens of 47 different countries in its war and called for representatives of each nation not to let their citizens "end up on another front" and get dragged into Russia's war.
