Featured Image Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Topics: News, World News, Ukraine, Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Kit Roberts
Topics: News, World News, Ukraine, Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has delivered a stark warning about Russian aggression in his speech at the UN.
The Ukrainian president took to the podium as Russian troops continue their illegal invasion of his country. While there, he warned that wider European security is at stake from Russian aggression.
Zelenskyy's speech comes as Russian planes and drones have made a number of small incursions into European airspace, including Poland, which is a member of NATO.
In September, around 20 Russian drones have entered Polish airspace, while three Russian MiG-31 jets entered Estonian airspace last week.
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Under NATO rules, if one member state is attacked, then other members are obliged to treat it as though they have been attacked.
Zelenskyy used his speech to call for greater measures to increase European security as Russia increasingly tests boundaries outside of Ukraine.
He said: “Putin will keep driving the war forward, wider and deeper.
“We told you before: Ukraine is only the first. Now, Russian drones are already flying across Europe, and Russian operations are already spreading across countries.
“Putin wants to continue this war by expanding it, and no one can feel safe right now.”
Zelenskyy went on to warn about the dangers of technological advances which have come since Russia invaded Ukraine, including the development of AI-controlled drones.
“We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history,” said Zelenskyy.
“Weapons move fast. Now, companies are already working on drones that can shoot down other drones, and it's only a matter of time before drones are fighting drones, attacking critical infrastructure, and targeting people all by themselves, fully autonomous and with no human involved, except the few who control AI systems.”
Zelenskyy warned of the alarming development, stating that the creation of global regulations on the use of AI in weapons is as urgent as preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.
Wars have historically led to technological leaps in weapons manufacturing, and this one has been no different.
“Every year that this war goes on, weapons become even more deadly. And only Russia deserves to be blamed for this,” Zelenskyy warned.
He added: "We are ready to make our modern weapons become your modern security. We have decided to open up arms exports. And these are powerful systems tested in a real war when every international institution failed," he said.
Leaders from around the world addressed the UN General Assembly yesterday, including Syria's Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who became the first Syrian president in nearly 60 years to attend the UN.