Zelensky Warns of Expanding Russian Aggression Beyond Ukraine

Thu Oct 16 2025 22:29:09 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In a powerful address at the UN's General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky cautioned that Russia will escalate its aggression towards other nations unless the international community unites against it and increases support.

During his speech at the UN, President Zelensky warned that without a united front from allies, Russia's aggression could spread beyond Ukraine. He emphasized the need for global cooperation, citing the dangers of a military arms race and the growing threat posed by advancing military technology. Zelensky criticized the ineffectiveness of international institutions, underscoring that stopping Russia now is crucial to prevent further conflict and instability in Europe, particularly concerning Moldova.

Vladimir Putin will keep driving the war forward wider and deeper if he is not stopped, Ukraine's President Zelensky has warned.

Speaking at the UN's General Assembly in New York, Zelensky said more countries would be met with Russian aggression unless allies displayed a united front and ramped up support.

He said all nations were threatened by a global arms race, as military technology advances, adding that weapons decide who survives and called for global rules on AI.

His comments come after US President Donald Trump shifted his position on the Russia-Ukraine war, saying for the first time that Ukraine could win back all of its land.

Zelensky criticised international institutions, suggesting they are too weak to offer Ukraine safety guarantees, adding - in apparent reference to Nato - that being part of a long-standing military alliance doesn't automatically mean you are safe.

We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history, he said.

He argued that stopping Russia now was cheaper than wondering who will be the first to create a simple drone carrying a nuclear warhead.

The Ukrainian leader also warned that Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova - which lies between Ukraine and EU-member Romania - to Russian influence. He said the West had missed a chance to save Georgia and Belarus from Putin's orbit.

On Thursday the pro-EU president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, accused the Kremlin of pouring hundreds of millions of euros into Moldova in an attempt to instigate violence and spread fear.

Voters in the former Soviet republic go to the polls on Sunday, amid what a BBC investigation found to be a barrage of disinformation spread by a network with ties to Moscow.

Last week, Estonia and Poland requested a consultation with other Nato members after Russia violated its airspace in separate incidents. Romania, another Nato member, also said Russian drones breached its airspace.

Earlier on Tuesday, following his speech to the UN, Trump suggested Nato nations should shoot down Russian planes breaching their airspace, marking an apparent U-turn from his previous comments about land swaps as a condition of peace.

Zelensky praised Donald Trump and said he had a good meeting with the US president.

Tensions continue as Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov dismissed Trump's remarks, emphasizing the contrasting views between Russia and the US.

As the situation evolves, Zelensky's call for stronger international action resonates, urging allies to act decisively against the threat posed by Russia.