Zelenskyy appeals for arms to fight Russia after Trump signals shift on war

By FARNAZ FASSIHI

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine appealed for more military aid to keep fighting Russia in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday. His call to arms, accompanied by warnings that the world is entering a new era in military technology, came a day after President Donald Trump signaled renewed backing for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Invoking incursions by Russian drones into Poland and Estonia in recent weeks, which have raised tensions between Europe and Russia, Zelenskyy stressed the need for more weapons even as he warned that they were evolving in ways that now endanger all nations. Drones might one day allow terrorists or states to deliver a nuclear device, he said, adding that the unchecked rise of artificial intelligence was creating new dangers.

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

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke three months after his country was engaged in an intense 12-day war with Israel that culminated with a U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. He portrayed Iran as a victim of military aggression and said it “has never sought or will never seek to build a nuclear bomb,” reiterating comments made by the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Tuesday.

Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, made his debut on the global stage, becoming the first leader of the country to address the General Assembly since 1967. Al-Sharaa, who led opposition forces that toppled the decades-long reign of the Assad family, detailed the major steps his government has taken to rebuild the country and its institutions; criticized Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory; and sought redefine the international image of his country.

Here is what else to know:

— Ukraine war: Zelenskyy addressed the U.N. after Trump said Ukraine could reclaim all territory lost in the war, an apparent U-turn in his view of the conflict. The Ukrainian leader delivered his speech as tensions between Europe and Russia are high, after Russian fighter jets and drones entered the airspace of Romania, Poland and Estonia, three NATO members.

— Nuclear negotiations: Pezeshkian appeared at a moment of diplomatic urgency for Iran, which faces the possibility that the U.N. will reimpose sanctions this week if there is no breakthrough on nuclear negotiations with Britain, France and Germany. His speech offered little insight into Iran’s strategy for resolving the standoff over its nuclear program.

— AI worries: Security Council members have said they fear that artificial intelligence could pose a major threat if left unchecked, a point echoed by Zelenskyy, who warned in his speech of its potential military uses. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a global watchdog to oversee the technology and create rules to govern it.

— Climate change: At a climate summit to be hosted by Guterres, U.N. member states will present their national plans before the COP30 climate conference in Brazil in November. Global warming has been one of Guterres’ priorities at the U.N.