Zelensky: Putin's madness drags the world into his war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "madness" at the UN, urging allies to maintain sanctions against Moscow as the only way to end the war. He questioned whether anyone still believes Putin is rational and moderate. Zelensky described Putin as "patient zero" spreading the idea of war, citing tens of thousands of soldiers from 47 countries, including North Korea, fighting alongside Russian forces. He argued that when Russia has money, it always rejects diplomacy, making sanctions essential to peace. Zelensky criticized France for pressuring Brussels to lift sanctions on Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov in exchange for a French citizen's release from Azerbaijan. He warned that easing sanctions gives Putin more time for war, insisting Russian revenues must remain targeted.