Speaking in English to the UN General Assembly, Zelensky said “Russia’s revenues must remain a target” and warned that “when someone gives Russia more money through trade, they give this war more time,” urging leaders to limit trade with the aggressor and to “burn Russia’s revenues ourselves.”
He framed economic pressure as a direct means of shortening the war, calling for sustained sanctions and trade restrictions to deprive Moscow of the resources it needs to fund its military operations.
Russia is scheduled to address the Assembly on September 26, 2026, but President Vladimir Putin will not attend; instead Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will speak on his behalf.
Lavrov told the UN Security Council on September 23, 2026 that Russia is prepared to negotiate a lasting peace but will not accept a mere “pause” in hostilities, arguing that a pause would give Ukraine and its supporters time to line up more weapons.
The conflict, now over four and a half years old, has claimed more than 500,000 Russian troops according to Western analysts, while Ukraine reports over 500,000 military casualties, including up to 140,000 deaths, though both sides keep official figures secret.
Beyond the battlefield, the war has disrupted global fuel, fertilizer and grain supplies and deepened geopolitical rifts between Russia and the West, amplifying economic and food‑security concerns worldwide.
Front‑line positions in eastern and southern Ukraine have remained largely static since last year, even as both sides have intensified long‑range drone and missile attacks, underscoring the war’s entrenched stalemate.