Ukrainian President Calls for Continuation of Sanctions on Russia and Restrictions on Its Trade

New York, 23 Sep (KUNA) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Wednesday for the continuation of sanctions against Russia and restrictions on trade with it, aiming to reduce its capacity to finance the war in his country.

He made the remarks during his address to the high-level general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, stating that the impacts of the war are no longer confined to Ukraine alone and warning of the potential expansion of its repercussions if the conflict is not halted.

Zelenskyy noted that the Russian army has lost approximately 250,000 soldiers on the battlefield since the beginning of the year through last August, adding that Moscow continues to suffer significant human casualties in exchange for limited territorial gains.

He also pointed to the participation of North Korean forces alongside Russia in the war, stating that Pyongyang has likewise incurred "heavy losses."

Zelenskyy affirmed that Ukraine is working to target Russia’s ability to fund military operations, arguing that the continued flow of funds to Moscow contributes to prolonging the war.

Regarding air defense, he announced that his country is working to expand the production of interceptor drones and to develop an anti-missile program in cooperation with European partners, with the goal of producing lower-cost, large-scale defensive systems.

He explained that the development of Ukraine’s defense industries could contribute to enhancing the security of other countries, citing cooperation in this area with European nations and countries in the South Caucasus.

Zelenskyy concluded by affirming that Ukraine seeks to become a source of security by sharing the technologies and expertise it has acquired during the war, under the slogan "Achieving peace through protection."

(END)