Ukraine’s Zelenskyy warns Europe against losing Moldova to Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Wednesday that Europe could not afford to lose strategically located Moldova to Russian influence, following Belarus and Georgia into Moscow’s orbit.

“Russia’s trying to do to Moldova what Iran once did to Lebanon and the global response again, not enough. We have already lost Georgia in Europe… and for many, many years, Belarus has also been moving toward dependence on Russia. Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova too,” he said at the UN General Assembly.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Zelenskiy said, “When hatred is weaponized against one nation, it never stops there. The goal of the present war against Ukraine is to turn our land, our people, our lives, our resources into weapons against you — against the international rules-based order.”

He highlighted the impact on global fuel and food supplies, and drew attention to what Ukraine says are tens of thousands of children taken from their families following Russia’s invasion. Zelenskiy added, “Those children in Russia are taught to hate Ukraine, and all ties with their families are broken. And this is clearly a genocide.”