Zelenskyy bolsters international support for Ukraine at the UN

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy persevered with efforts to bolster international support for his country at a U.N. gathering of world leaders on Tuesday.

With his troops under strain on the front line after more than three years of fighting Russia’s bigger invading army, Zelensky was due to begin meetings with leaders gathered in New York this week for the U.N. General Assembly.

Peace efforts set in motion by U.S. President Donald Trump since he returned to office in January appear to have stalled. 

Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a White House meeting with Zelenskyy and key European leaders took place more than a month ago, but the war has continued unabated.European leaders have supported Zelenskyy’s diplomatic efforts, even as the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is expected to take center stage at the United Nations. Some European countries are alarmed by the possibility that the war could spread beyond Ukraine amid what they have called Russian provocations.

NATO allies will hold formal consultations at Estonia’s request on Tuesday, after the Baltic country said that three Russian fighter jets entered its airspace last week without authorisation.

Meanwhile, the full-scale war, which began on Feb. 24, 2022, continues to take a heavy toll on Ukrainian civilians.