Zelenskyy urges UN to keep squeezing Russia's revenues and war machine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly to continue restricting Russia's revenues and hindering its war efforts, stating that trade with Russia prolongs the conflict. He insisted that "Russia's revenues must remain a target" to impede its military campaign. Russia is scheduled to address the assembly on Saturday, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expected to speak in place of President Vladimir Putin. Lavrov told the U.N. Security Council that Russia is open to negotiations for lasting peace but rejects a mere pause, arguing it would allow Ukraine to rearm. The war, which began over four and a half years ago, has caused over 500,000 Russian troop deaths and more than 500,000 Ukrainian military casualties, according to Western estimates. Front-line positions remain largely static, with both sides intensifying long-range drone and missile attacks.