Zelensky: Putin is trying to capture Odesa, Kharkiv and Dnipro
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to capture Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro and other Ukrainian cities, and Russian aggression contributes to the spread of wars and instability far beyond Ukraine.
Zelensky said this on September 23 during his address at the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The head of state drew the attention of General Assembly participants to the fact that Moscow's territorial goals, in his assessment, are not limited to the already occupied areas of Ukraine.
“Putin is trying to capture Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro and our other cities,” — Zelensky said.
The president linked Russia's war against Ukraine to a broader deterioration of international security. According to him, instability does not remain within the borders of one country but spreads further if the aggressor does not face sufficient counteraction.
Zelensky called on General Assembly participants to view what is happening in Ukraine not as an isolated regional war. In his assessment, the possibility of one country achieving territorial goals by military force creates risks for the entire international security system.
Separately, the president emphasized Ukrainian cities that Russia regularly attacks with missiles, drones and guided aerial bombs throughout the full-scale war. Kharkiv is in immediate proximity to the Russian border and constantly suffers air strikes. Odesa and Odesa Oblast are one of the key areas of Ukrainian maritime infrastructure and exports, and Dnipro is a major industrial and logistics center of the country.
The statement came amid new massive Russian attacks. Ahead of his UN speech, Zelensky also said that Ukrainian intelligence records Russia's preparation for a new large-scale attack. Against this background, Kyiv continues to seek additional air defense and missile defense systems from partners.
In New York, the president has already held a series of negotiations, one of the central topics of which was the protection of Ukraine before the winter period. During a meeting with US President Donald Trump, the sides discussed possible steps for de-escalation, the prospects of diplomacy and strengthening Ukrainian air defense.
As the Office of the President reported, Zelensky said after these talks that Ukraine and the United States would like to achieve the end of the war before winter. At the same time, he emphasized the need for additional Patriot interceptor missiles in case Russia continues ballistic strikes.
At the General Assembly itself, Zelensky linked the situation around Ukraine with the principle of the inadmissibility of changing state borders by force. His thesis was that the consequences of the war go beyond Ukraine: the weakening of international rules increases the likelihood of new conflicts in other parts of the world.
The president also called on international partners to maintain pressure on Moscow and not perceive the ongoing war as a situation the world can gradually get used to. Ukraine insists that the end of the war must be accompanied by reliable security guarantees that will not allow Russian aggression to be repeated.
Zelensky's speech took place amid diplomatic contacts between Ukraine, the United States and Russia in New York. Kyiv declares readiness for de-escalation steps and negotiations, while emphasizing that such steps must be mutual and must not give Russia the opportunity to continue military pressure.
