'What Can Sudan, Somalia Or Palestine Really Expect?' Ukraine's Zelenskyy Slams UN In General Assembly Speech

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hit out at the United Nations on its treatment of wars happening worldwide during his United Nations General Assembly address on Wednesday and said, "Even during bloodshed, there isn't a single international institution that can truly stop it. That's how weak these institutions have become."

He also highlighted wars in Sudan, Somalia and Palestine as evidence of a global system unable to prevent bloodshed or deliver solutions, and remarked, "What can Sudan, or Somalia, or Palestine, or any other people living through war really expect from the UN or the global system? For decades just statements and statements. And even happenings in Gaza remain without a way out."

The Ukrainian President also raised questions around security guarantees, and remarked that the only real security guarantees are "friends and weapons." He asked rhetorically whether any safe place will even be left for people in a world, where there is no strong platform for international security.

Zelenskyy's statement comes at a juncture when the west seems to be tilting towards a two-state solution, with countries such as France, United Kingdom, Belgium, Australia, Portugal, and others formally recognising the legitimacy of Palestine as a nation state. In 2025 alone, 11 countries have recognised the existence of a Palestinian state.

Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its on-ground offensive in Palestine with the death toll in Gaza crossing 65,400. Israeli bombardment and airstrikes on Gaza have claimed 84 lives in a single day, according to news agency Aljazeera.

The Israeli military ordered the evacuation of a Jordanian Hospital, a key health clinic, a Palestinian health official was reported as saying on Monday by the Associated Press. The Israeli military has threatened to destroy Hamas' military infrastructure within a matter of months.

Israel has also been furthering plans of complete annexation of West Bank, with a goal of extinguishing any window for a prospective future Palestinian state, Al Jazeera reported.

Zelenskyy also spoke about the Russia-Ukraine war and why Ukraine chooses to fight and said "Ukrainians are peaceful people, but they are people who want to live freely in their own independent country. That’s why we invest in defence. For many nations, there is simply no other way left."

He urged other countries to act together to stop war, and remarked, stopping this war now, within the global arms race is cheaper than building underground kindergartens or massive bunkers for critical infrastructure later.

The Ukrainian President concluded by asking countries to condemn the war and stated, "So don’t stay silent while Russia keeps dragging this war on. Please speak out and condemn it. Please join us in defending life and international law and order. People are waiting for action."