On September 23 local time, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy was busy with multiple diplomatic activities at the United Nations in New York. There were two main topics of discussion: the ceasefire agreement and a warning to Moscow.
According to Reuters, on September 23 local time, Zelenskyy stated at the 'Crimean Platform' summit held during the United Nations General Assembly that Ukraine is ready to reach a maritime truce agreement in the Black Sea based on the suggestions put forward by Egypt, India, and Turkey.
In addition, on September 22, Zelenskyy held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. The two sides discussed the ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine regarding energy-related targets, and expressed their willingness to have a tripartite meeting with Trump and Russian President Putin.
September 22, Ukrainian President Zelensky met with US President Trump for 40 minutes at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Reuters
He said that Egypt, India, and Turkey have proposed plans to restore the safe navigation of Black Sea merchant ships. Due to the fierce attacks on ships and port infrastructure by both sides in the conflict, cargo transportation in this region has almost come to a standstill.
Zelensky said: "We are waiting for a response from Russia. If Russia is also ready to take practical steps to ease the situation, Ukraine is ready to... ensure the safety of maritime transport and food security in the Black Sea region. We have to start somewhere."
Ukraine is concerned that Russia plans to use missiles and drones to attack its power and heating facilities this winter. Therefore, it has been actively pushing for a cease-fire agreement aimed at protecting energy infrastructure and black sea shipping from attacks.
Major importing countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa that rely on wheat from the Black Sea region are currently facing difficulties in obtaining supplies, leading to a surge in global wheat prices.
On September 23, Zelenskyy also spoke at the 81st General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly. He stated that the war between Russia and Ukraine must end, and called for restricting Russia's operational space, financial resources, and military capabilities. Ukraine is developing its own defensive capabilities and also promoting diplomatic efforts, with the goal of achieving peace before the war escalates further and artificial intelligence begins to influence the battlefield.
Zelenskyy mentioned the Russian casualties in his speech—over the past eight months, 248,964 Russians have died or been seriously injured on the Ukrainian battlefield. He also said that Ukraine has video evidence of these casualties. Zelenskyy noted that after suffering heavy losses of personnel, Russia only seized over 1,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory this year, while Ukraine has recovered a significant portion of that area.
Zelenskyy, while issuing threatening warnings about the expanding war and stating that Russia has not only “territorial ambitions” towards Ukraine, also called for sanctions against Russia, assistance to Ukraine, and joint arms production. The goal of Ukraine in targeting Russia’s petroleum industry is not to attack oil, gasoline, diesel, factories, or ports themselves, but to weaken Russia’s ability to fund the war.
Ukraine is expanding its air defense capabilities and also promoting drone security cooperation projects. To end the war, it requires not only diplomatic efforts but also military strength. Zelenskyy also warned that by next year, artificial intelligence could begin to influence battlefield situations. Therefore, peace must be achieved before reaching this critical point.
As these conferences are held, the Security Council is meeting regarding the Russia-Ukraine war that has been ongoing for five years.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated during his speech to the 15 member states of the Security Council during the United Nations General Assembly that Moscow would not accept any proposals to temporarily cease hostilities. "No matter what Europe thinks, it simply wants a chance to catch its breath and use this opportunity to supply weapons to the Kiev regime."
Additionally, on the 23rd, Lavrov held talks with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio. After the meeting, Rubio stated that both Ukraine and Russia expressed interest in reaching a limited ceasefire involving food and energy-related objectives.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated in a press release that they "reaffirmed their unconditional commitment to achieving the objectives of the special military operation." The Kremlin has yet to respond to the ceasefire agreement.
