Zelensky criticises ‘powerless’ UN in major speech to world leaders

The Telegraph: Volodymyr Zelensky has derided the United Nations as “powerless” at a gathering of world leaders.

Ukraine’s president said the organisation cannot stop the war raging in his country because of Russia’s part in the organisation.

He also pressed the UN General Assembly in New York to ignore a “choir of voices” trying to foist their own plans to end the war on Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky is in the US to present what he has described as a “victory plan”, aimed at bringing an end to the fighting with Russia on Kyiv’s terms.

“Unfortunately, at the UN, it’s impossible to truly and fairly resolve matters of war and peace because too much depends in the Security Council on the veto power,” the Ukrainian leader said on Wednesday.

“When the aggressor [Russia] exercises the veto power, the UN is powerless to stop the war. But the ‘Peace Formula’ can.”

Mr Zelensky presented plans for his so-called “Peace Formula” at a summit of G20 leaders in November 2022. It dictates that peace talks can only happen when Russia withdraws all of its troops from Ukraine.

Plan to force Putin to negotiating table

The wartime leader has since said he will unveil an alternative plan to place Ukraine in a position of strength and force Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.

The four-pronged strategy revolves around Ukraine’s occupation of the Russian region of Kursk, the use of long-range Western weapons to strike inside Russia, security guarantees akin to Nato’s Article 5 clause and a promise to rebuild Kyiv’s war-stricken economy.

He told the General Assembly that his proposals are the only viable options on the table to end the violence, urging counterparts around the world to shun similar options put forward by the likes of China and Brazil.

“When some propose alternatives, half-hearted settlement plans, so-called sets of principles, it not only ignores the interests and suffering of Ukrainians, who are affected by the war the most, it not only ignores reality, but also gives Putin the political space to continue the war and pressure the war to bring more nations under control,” Mr Zelensky said.

“Any parallel or alternative attempt to seek peace are in fact efforts to achieve a lul instead of an end to the war.”