Zelenskyy outlines Ukraine's vision of "real peace" to UN General Assembly

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, has insisted on a just peace in Ukraine in accordance with his Peace Formula. 

Zelenskyy insisted at the UN General Assembly in New York that the Peace Formula is the best opportunity for peace, and that Ukrainians will never accept that the colonial past can be imposed on Ukraine instead of a just peace.

"When someone proposes alternatives, half-hearted settlement plans, so-called ‘sets of principles’, it not only ignores the interests and suffering of Ukrainians who are affected by the war the most, it not only ignores reality: it also gives Putin political space to continue the war," the president said. 

He added that his Peace Formula has existed as a global initiative for two years. 

"And maybe somebody wants a Nobel Prize for their political biography for a ‘frozen truce’ instead of real peace, but the only prize Putin will give you in return is more suffering and disasters," Zelenskyy said.

In his speech, he outlined the main points of how he sees peace being achieved.

"We must restore nuclear safety. Energy must stop being used as a weapon. We must ensure food security. We need to bring home all our captured soldiers and civilians possibly deported to Russia. We must uphold the UN Charter and guarantee our right, Ukraine's right, to territorial integrity and sovereignty, just as we do for any other nation. 

We need to withdraw the Russian occupiers, which will bring an end to the hostilities in Ukraine. And we must hold those responsible for war crimes accountable. We need to prevent ecocide... We must not allow a second or third Russian invasion. We need to make it clear: the war is over. This is the Peace Formula. What part of this could be unacceptable to anyone who upholds the UN Charter?" Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy also called on the international community to put pressure on Russia and prevent it from launching attacks that would pose a threat to Ukrainian nuclear energy.

Earlier, in an interview with the US media, Zelenskyy said he believed the war with Russia is "closer to the end" than many people think.