"Putin is patient zero. He must be stopped." Zelensky spoke at the UN
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the UN General Assembly in New York on September 23. Below is his speech, abridged while preserving its substance.
"Putin is patient zero. He must be stopped." Zelenskyy delivered a speech at the UN
Since the beginning of the year, Russia has lost 248,000 people. During this period, it managed to capture a thousand square kilometers of territory, but Ukraine has reclaimed most of it. To add another thousand square kilometers of land to his territory, Putin sacrificed 248 people for each kilometer.
For five years, Putin made the same promise 17-18 times: just a few more months, and then the war will end — but the deadlines are always pushed back. Putin wants to capture more of our cities. Something is preventing him from saying the word "peace." His own territory of 17 million square kilometers should be enough for him, but he is eyeing the land of others. Can you imagine Putin without war?
He is patient zero: his idea of war is spreading to new territories. The more Putin's hands are untied, the more dangerous he becomes to everyone. Patient zero must be stopped.
Russian oil is not Ukraine's target. Gasoline, diesel, factories — are not Ukraine's target. To stop Putin, it is necessary to stop Russia's sources of funding and production. We are trying to burn down Russia's revenues — that is our target.
No Russian official ever imagined that Russia would need to protect itself from General Frost. If Russia strikes our energy facilities, we will do the same. Therefore, the situation must be eased before winter.