“Unity Can Prevent Wars”: Zelenskyy’s 2025 UN Plea to the World

“Unity Can Prevent Wars”: Zelenskyy’s 2025 UN Plea to the World

Here’s the full text (in English) of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 2025 address at the UN General Assembly (General Debate):

Source: Ukrinform / President of Ukraine Office  

Volodymyr Zelenskyy — 2025 UN General Assembly Speech (English Translation / Excerpts)

I welcome all who stand for common efforts! And I promise – being really united we can guarantee fair peace for all nations.

What’s more, unity can prevent wars.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Secretary General! Fellow leaders!

This hall saw many wars but not as an active defender against aggression.

In many cases, the fear of war, the final war, was the loudest here – the war after which no one would gather in the General Assembly Hall again.

The Third World War was seen as a nuclear war. A conflict between states on the highway to nukes. Other wars seemed less scary compared to the threat of “great powers” firing nuclear stockpiles.

Last year at this assembly, I warned the world about the risk of radiation disasters – especially due to Russia’s occupation of our Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the biggest in Europe. But nothing’s changed. Nothing. And yesterday, the plant went into blackout again. Russia hasn’t stopped shelling – even in areas near a nuclear facility. Because international institutions are too weak, this madness continues.  

Even being part of a long-standing military alliance doesn’t automatically mean you’re safe. Just recently, 19 simple Russian drones violated Polish airspace. And only 4 were shot down. Luckily, they weren’t worse. Otherwise, the results would’ve been horrific. Estonia had to call a UN Security Council meeting – for the first time in history – because Russian fighter jets deliberately entered its airspace.  

Moldova is defending itself – again – from Russia’s interference. We’re helping Moldova. Russia’s trying to do to Moldova what Iran once did to Lebanon. And the global response? Again – not enough. We’ve already lost Georgia in Europe. Human rights and the European nature of the state system are only shrinking there. Georgia is dependent on Russia. For many years, Belarus has also been moving toward dependence on Russia. Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova too.  

The UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must apply everywhere. But the Taliban in Afghanistan dragged a whole country back into the dark ages. Cartels in some Latin American countries are more powerful than governments there. This is part of the collapse of international law and the weakness of global institutions. So it’s about the rise of weapons. Weapons decide who survives.  

Dear leaders!

We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history — because this time, it includes artificial intelligence. And if there are no real security guarantees — except friends and weapons — and if the world can’t respond even to old threats, and if there’s no strong platform for international security — will there be any place left on Earth that’s safe for people?  

We need global rules — now — for how AI can be used in weapons. This is just as urgent as preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. We need to restore international cooperation — real, working cooperation — for peace and security. A few years from now might already be too late.  

To protect lives, Ukraine builds underground schools and underground hospitals. To protect lives, we spend more on shielding power stations from drone and missile attacks than on sports or cultural infrastructure. Ukrainian farmers are learning how to protect their equipment from Russia’s FPV drone strikes — that challenge is greater for them than climate change. Russia’s war put us in this situation. But do you have protection against similar threats?  

The facts are simple: stopping this war now — and with it, the global arms race — is cheaper than building underground kindergartens or massive bunkers for critical infrastructure later. Stopping Putin now is cheaper than trying to protect every port and every ship from drone attacks. Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be first to build a drone carrying a nuclear warhead. So we must use everything we have — together — to force the aggressor to stop. And only then do we have a real chance that this arms race won’t end in catastrophe. If it takes weapons to do it, if it takes pressure on Russia — then it must be done. And it must be done now. Otherwise, Putin will keep driving the war forward — wider and deeper.  

And we told you before — Ukraine is only the first. Russian drones are already flying across Europe. Russian operations are spreading. Putin wants to expand this war. And no one can feel safe right now.  

So first, we are building a new security architecture for ourselves. Over 30 countries are already part of our Coalition. We’re strengthening our army, launching joint weapons production, and defining defense commitments — in a way that could become a security model for others. If guarantees work for Ukraine — something more than just friends and weapons — it means nations can make security a right, not a privilege.  

Second, we’re ready to make our modern weapons your modern security. We’ve decided to open arms exports. These are powerful systems tested in real war, when institutions failed. We’re also ready to grow defense production together with strong partners so their protection is modern and reliable. You don’t need to start this race from scratch — we can share what’s already proven itself.  

Third, many in the world are still relaxed, still silent. But look how many countries are here — nations at war, those fresh from war, those preparing for one. War has reached too many people to pretend it doesn’t affect you. So it depends on you — whether you help peace or continue trading with Russia and funding its war. It depends on you — whether prisoners of war will be freed, whether abducted children will come home, whether hostages will be freed. It depends on you — whether existence will be war as now, or joint strong action.  

Yesterday, I had a good meeting with President Trump and many strong leaders. Together, we can change a lot. Of course, Europe must truly help. Of course, we count on the United States. I appreciate the support. Much depends on G7 and G20. But in the end, peace depends on all of us — on the United Nations.

So don’t stay silent while Russia drags this war on — please, speak out and condemn it. Join us in defending life, international law, and order. People are waiting for action.

Thank you so much!

Glory to Ukraine!