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](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/united-nations/) in New York to ignore a “choir of voices” trying to foist their own plans to end the war on Ukraine.
[Mr Zelensky](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/volodymyr-zelenskyy/) 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.
The wartime leader has since said he will unveil an alternative plan to place Ukraine in a position of strength and force [Vladimir Putin](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/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.”
it seems Zelensky dosent understand what the UN is for , its not a world government like conspiracy theorists claim ,
its a forum for countries to air their grevenaces and the first port of call to de-escalate conflicts
AlanWerehog on
The UN is more like a chat group than a world law enforcer.
Competitive-Kick747 on
The sooner he capitulates, the better…….this is just a long-drawn out aggression
Affectionate_Cat293 on
He is just pointing out the obvious. Of course the Security Council is paralysed by veto powers, but it goes both ways. The US can always veto a resolution concerning Israel, so other countries have to turn to the General Assembly and the International Court of Justice. Ukraine has done the same, the General Assembly already issued multiple resolutions condemning the aggression, and a case concerning allegations of genocide is pending before the ICJ: [https://www.icj-cij.org/case/182](https://www.icj-cij.org/case/182)
“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.”
Interestingly, he does not mention how he is going to retake the rest of the occupied territories. He cannot just conjure soldiers out of thin air, Ukraine does not even have enough soldiers to retake Svatove and Kreminna. At this point, retaking Crimea is like a pipe dream.
DarthPineapple5 on
The UN is powerless by design, its a forum for discussions not a supranational authority. Even if the veto power was eliminated entirely it wouldn’t really change the situation
The war won’t ever end so long as Putin is in control and is willing to ruin Russia in the long run in order to win a chunk of Ukrainian land in the short term. Look at him beg Russian woman to have more babies while he sends hundreds of thousands of young Russian men to die on the battlefields of Ukraine, its fucking insane. So long as that remains true though Ukraine has no pathway to end the war without giving up huge swaths of their country.
silver2006 on
It’s almost like some wanted to keep the war going on…
Icy-Macaroon1070 on
The UN is useless. It’s a local to chit chat.
MGMAX on
I, for one, am thankful that UN doesn’t have power and authority. It would be a scary world if it did, given how it works.
9 Comments
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](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/united-nations/) in New York to ignore a “choir of voices” trying to foist their own plans to end the war on Ukraine.
[Mr Zelensky](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/volodymyr-zelenskyy/) 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.
The wartime leader has since said he will unveil an alternative plan to place Ukraine in a position of strength and force [Vladimir Putin](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/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.”
**Read more from The Telegraph:** [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2024/09/25/zelensky-criticises-powerless-un-major-speech-world-leaders/](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2024/09/25/zelensky-criticises-powerless-un-major-speech-world-leaders/)
it seems Zelensky dosent understand what the UN is for , its not a world government like conspiracy theorists claim ,
its a forum for countries to air their grevenaces and the first port of call to de-escalate conflicts
The UN is more like a chat group than a world law enforcer.
The sooner he capitulates, the better…….this is just a long-drawn out aggression
He is just pointing out the obvious. Of course the Security Council is paralysed by veto powers, but it goes both ways. The US can always veto a resolution concerning Israel, so other countries have to turn to the General Assembly and the International Court of Justice. Ukraine has done the same, the General Assembly already issued multiple resolutions condemning the aggression, and a case concerning allegations of genocide is pending before the ICJ: [https://www.icj-cij.org/case/182](https://www.icj-cij.org/case/182)
“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.”
Interestingly, he does not mention how he is going to retake the rest of the occupied territories. He cannot just conjure soldiers out of thin air, Ukraine does not even have enough soldiers to retake Svatove and Kreminna. At this point, retaking Crimea is like a pipe dream.
The UN is powerless by design, its a forum for discussions not a supranational authority. Even if the veto power was eliminated entirely it wouldn’t really change the situation
The war won’t ever end so long as Putin is in control and is willing to ruin Russia in the long run in order to win a chunk of Ukrainian land in the short term. Look at him beg Russian woman to have more babies while he sends hundreds of thousands of young Russian men to die on the battlefields of Ukraine, its fucking insane. So long as that remains true though Ukraine has no pathway to end the war without giving up huge swaths of their country.
It’s almost like some wanted to keep the war going on…
The UN is useless. It’s a local to chit chat.
I, for one, am thankful that UN doesn’t have power and authority. It would be a scary world if it did, given how it works.