Zelensky urges UN to resolve Ukraine war before AI can ‘decide what happens on the battlefield’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered a grim warning to the world leaders gathered in New York, speculating that artificial intelligence could be making military decisions “by next year.”

The Ukrainian leader addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday afternoon, beginning with a statement of agreement with President Donald Trump. He read out a Truth Social post in which the U.S. president said Russia has “lost control of its Diesel Oil Industry.”

“It’s hard to imagine a more humiliating loss for a country that has a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council and takes so much pride in its oil exports,” Zelensky boasted. He additionally praised Trump’s assessment that “this ridiculous and never ending War with Ukraine must be ended.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

“I do not know a single world leader who would say otherwise … except one man,” the Ukrainian leader said, referencing Russian President Vladimir Putin — who was not present at the General Assembly.

Zelensky struck a confident and controlled posture during the speech, claiming that to capture just 1,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory this year, Russia has suffered close to 248,000 casualties — an average of 248 Russian casualties per square kilometer.

But the president expressed deep concern about the rapid advancements made in the area of AI-powered weapons, which he said are becoming increasingly viable for use on the battlefield and could change the nature of warfare forever.

“We need to slow it down before we reach the next stage because as early as next year, there is already a real possibility that AI — not only people — will begin deciding what happens on the battlefield,” he said. “And we need peace before we reach that point.”

Zelensky explicitly named two Russian allies in his speech, North Korea and China. He reported that two North Korean prisoners of war have been transferred to South Korea for detention and interrogation, and pointed to Pyongyang as a malevolent force buoyed by participation in Russia’s invasion.

Regarding China, Zelensky expressed regret that paramount leader Xi Jinping did not attend the General Assembly because he believes the Chinese leader is one of the few world leaders with sway over the Kremlin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, second left, and Sberbank CEO German Gref, left, look at a humanoid robot with built-in Sberbank’s GigaChat, while visiting an exhibition of the AI Journey 2025, an international conference on artificial intelligence and machine learning, at the Sberbank City business complex in Moscow, Russia, on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

“Unfortunately, we have not had a chance to speak directly with the leader of China, who is in America today but not here,” Zelensky said. “And he is someone who can influence Russia too — more than many, many others can.”

Xi is currently in Washington, D.C. for a summit with Trump that will last until Friday. The two are expected to discuss a wide range of pressing issues, including trade agreements, U.S. military support for Taiwan, and the conflict in Iran.

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Trump may take the opportunity to press Xi for help ending the Russian invasion, teasing during his own United Nations address yesterday that the conflict would end “more quickly than people understand.”

Xi has thus far done his best to float above the chaos of Russia’s war, positioning himself as an eager peacemaker who nonetheless does not hold the Kremlin uniquely responsible for the situation.

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