Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the U.N. Common Meeting, as diplomats battle to cease Russia’s aggression.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Ukraine’s president had an uncommon pitch on the United Nations Common Meeting at this time. He stated the U.N. has didn’t resolve Russia’s conflict towards his nation. So, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says, Ukraine has needed to depend on its buddies and its personal weapons. And he stated Ukrainian drones have been so profitable towards Russia that he is prepared to begin exporting them to like-minded nations, as NPR’s Michele Kelemen studies.
MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Talking to the Common Meeting for the fourth time as a wartime president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is realized one large lesson in regards to the world physique.
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PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Immediately, nobody however ourselves can assure safety. Solely sturdy alliances, solely sturdy companions and solely our personal weapons.
KELEMEN: He instructed the U.N. Common Meeting that Russia’s conflict has sparked an arms race, and he touted the drones Ukraine has been constructing to defend itself from Russia’s stockpile of missiles and Iranian-made drones.
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ZELENSKYY: Ukraine does not have the large, fats missiles dictators love to point out off in parades. However we do have drones that may fly as much as two, three thousand kilometers. We had no selection however to construct them to guard our proper to life.
KELEMEN: Zelenskyy spoke loads about Ukrainian drones, telling international locations all over the world that they need to do enterprise with Ukraine slightly than Russia.
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ZELENSKYY: We’re able to make our fashionable weapons turn into your fashionable safety, your fashionable weapon. And now we have determined to open up arms exports. And these are highly effective programs examined in an actual conflict when each worldwide establishment failed.
KELEMEN: The gross sales pitch appeared to have labored on President Trump, who met with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the U.N. Common Meeting. Trump now appears to assume that Ukraine can retake territory now occupied by Russia. And he had this to say at one among his many photograph ops on Tuesday.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: It has been a horrible conflict. It ought to have ended. And Russia ought to have stopped it. However they have been 3 1/2 years they usually’ve gotten not to this point. So we’ll see what occurs. However the different facet can combat too, they usually’ve confirmed that. Possibly it is a – it might be that Russia is a paper tiger.
KELEMEN: Trump stated he thought it might be straightforward to finish the conflict due to his shut relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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TRUMP: However sadly, that relationship did not imply something, sadly.
KELEMEN: Ever since he hosted Putin in Alaska final month, the Russians have stepped up their strikes on Ukrainian cities and cities and even violated NATO airspace with drones and fighter jets. European diplomats on the U.N. have been urgent Trump to place extra stress on Putin. Russian diplomats have referred to as the Europeans paranoid Russophobes. Putin didn’t come to the U.N., so there are few expectations of any actual negotiations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did meet his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, although they didn’t converse to reporters. Zelenskyy’s pitch was largely about rallying the world to show towards Russia.
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ZELENSKYY: Whether or not you assist peace or proceed buying and selling with Russia and serving to Russia to fund this conflict, it is determined by you.
KELEMEN: And he urged international locations to not keep silent. Michele Kelemen, NPR Information, the United Nations.
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