Zelenskyy’s UN Pitch: Drones, Dollars, and Diplomacy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has launched a major diplomatic offensive at the UN General Assembly in New York, strategically using a recent ‘drone scare’ in Europe to press for greater international support. On the eve of a planned meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Zelenskyy argued that Russia is testing the West’s resolve and that decisive financial and military backing for Kyiv is the only effective countermeasure.

In a discussion with Keith Kellogg, a special representative for the U.S. President, Zelenskyy provided an update on the front-line situation. The talks also focused on a Kyiv-proposed arms procurement plan, which would be financed by European nations, and a proposal for mutually beneficial cooperation in the manufacturing of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The drone theme was central to Zelenskyy’s meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. The Ukrainian leader cited a recent incident involving unidentified drones near an airfield in Copenhagen as evidence of Moscow’s escalating provocations. He contended that without a firm response from Western allies, Russia would continue its destabilizing actions, linking this directly to his appeal for a new multi-year IMF support program and the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s benefit.

Zelenskyy’s packed agenda in New York reflects a multi-pronged approach to securing Ukraine’s interests. He met with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to discuss pathways to ending the conflict and the potential role of Kazakh companies in Ukraine’s reconstruction. His schedule also includes the inaugural meeting of a coalition for the return of Ukrainian children and the annual ‘Crimean Platform-2025’ summit, moved from Kyiv to the global stage for the first time.

Expanding his diplomatic efforts into the spiritual realm, President Zelenskyy also met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. At the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN, they discussed the ‘destructive influence’ of the Russian Orthodox Church and the need for a joint strategy to counteract it. During the meeting, Zelenskyy asserted that there is no religious persecution within Ukraine.