In his remarks Wednesday, Zelensky called on the U.N. General Assembly to remove Russia’s veto power on the Security Council, a reform that would cut to the bones of the institution. He said support for Ukraine amounted to support for the goals of the U.N. Charter, and he called on governments to back Kyiv’s 10-point peace plan, which Moscow has rejected.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was also scheduled to attend the meeting, Russian state media reported, setting up a potentially dramatic encounter between the pair — 19 months after Moscow launched its invasion. But he was not in the room when Zelensky spoke.
Addressing fellow world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Zelensky reiterated his stance that Ukraine would not settle for any peace plan that did not include Russia’s full withdrawal from Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, President Biden vowed sustained U.S. support for Kyiv. “Russia alone has the power to end this war immediately,” he said.
After New York, Zelensky is set to travel to Washington, where he is expected to meet with Biden. Zelensky will also meet with leaders of both chambers and parties in Congress, as well as other senior U.S. officials.
In St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. In an increasingly multipolar world, Yi said Wednesday that Moscow and Beijing share special global responsibilities.
