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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the U.N. Normal Meeting, as diplomats wrestle to cease Russia’s aggression.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Ukraine’s president had an uncommon pitch on the United Nations Normal Meeting at this time. He mentioned the U.N. has did not resolve Russia’s battle towards his nation. So, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says, Ukraine has needed to depend on its buddies and its personal weapons. And he mentioned Ukrainian drones have been so profitable towards Russia that he is prepared to begin exporting them to like-minded nations, as NPR’s Michele Kelemen stories.
MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Chatting with the Normal Meeting for the fourth time as a wartime president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is discovered one large lesson in regards to the world physique.
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PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Immediately, nobody however ourselves can assure safety. Solely sturdy alliances, solely sturdy companions and solely our personal weapons.
KELEMEN: He instructed the U.N. Normal Meeting that Russia’s battle has sparked an arms race, and he touted the drones Ukraine has been constructing to defend itself from Russia’s stockpile of missiles and Iranian-made drones.
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ZELENSKYY: Ukraine does not have the large, fats missiles dictators love to point out off in parades. However we do have drones that may fly as much as two, three thousand kilometers. We had no selection however to construct them to guard our proper to life.
KELEMEN: Zelenskyy spoke rather a lot about Ukrainian drones, telling international locations world wide that they need to do enterprise with Ukraine slightly than Russia.
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ZELENSKYY: We’re able to make our fashionable weapons turn into your fashionable safety, your fashionable weapon. And we now have determined to open up arms exports. And these are highly effective techniques examined in an actual battle when each worldwide establishment failed.
KELEMEN: The gross sales pitch appeared to have labored on President Trump, who met with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the U.N. Normal Meeting. Trump now appears to assume that Ukraine can retake territory now occupied by Russia. And he had this to say at one among his many picture ops on Tuesday.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: It has been a horrible battle. It ought to have ended. And Russia ought to have stopped it. However they have been 3 1/2 years they usually’ve gotten not to date. So we’ll see what occurs. However the different aspect can struggle too, they usually’ve confirmed that. Possibly it is a – it could possibly be that Russia is a paper tiger.
KELEMEN: Trump mentioned he thought it might be straightforward to finish the battle due to his shut relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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TRUMP: However sadly, that relationship did not imply something, sadly.
KELEMEN: Ever since he hosted Putin in Alaska final month, the Russians have stepped up their strikes on Ukrainian cities and cities and even violated NATO airspace with drones and fighter jets. European diplomats on the U.N. have been urgent Trump to place extra strain on Putin. Russian diplomats have referred to as the Europeans paranoid Russophobes. Putin didn’t come to the U.N., so there are few expectations of any actual negotiations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did meet his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, although they didn’t communicate to reporters. Zelenskyy’s pitch was principally about rallying the world to show towards Russia.
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ZELENSKYY: Whether or not you assist peace or proceed buying and selling with Russia and serving to Russia to fund this battle, it is determined by you.
KELEMEN: And he urged international locations to not keep silent. Michele Kelemen, NPR Information, the United Nations.
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