Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking from the podium of the UN General Assembly in New York, stated that the war against Ukraine must be ended before artificial intelligence begins making decisions on the battlefield independently. According to the head of state, there is already a "real probability" that as early as next year the control of combat operations will shift from humans to algorithms, and it is precisely for this reason that the international community must act immediately, rather than waiting for a breakthrough technological threshold.
Statement at the UN Podium
Addressing the leaders of the world, Zelensky emphasized that the rapid development of military technologies and the latest weapons systems requires immediate attention from the international community. "As early as next year, there is a real probability that decisions on the battlefield will be made by artificial intelligence, not only by humans. We need peace before we reach that point," the president declared, as reported by Ukrainian media outlets that broadcast his speech.
Call to Slow Down Weapons Development
In addition to warning about the risks of autonomous combat systems, Zelensky appealed to world leaders to slow down the development of weapons and technologies designed to kill people. In his words, these processes must be contained before AI gains even broader capabilities for conducting combat operations, transforming from a tool into an independent "participant" in the conflict.
Energy Ceasefire and Hopes for Peace
In the same context, Zelensky reminded that Ukraine is ready for a so-called "energy ceasefire" with Russia: Kyiv is prepared to stop strikes on Russian energy facilities on the condition that Moscow also halts attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. The president also expressed hope that, with the involvement of US President Donald Trump, the war could be ended by winter.
Contradictory Data
Publications from different outlets show discrepancies regarding the specific year to which Zelensky attributes the transition to autonomous AI decision-making. The main text of the speech frames the threat as "as early as next year," which, given the current date of September 2026, refers to 2027. However, a number of headlines (in particular, in materials from novosti.ua) pin this threat to "as early as 2025." Thus, two versions coexist in open sources: either the reference is to the nearest calendar year relative to the moment of the speech, or the specific year 2025 was named in an earlier version of the statement. A precise pinning to a year cannot be unambiguously confirmed based on the available materials.
Significance of the Statement
Zelensky's speech at the UN General Assembly marks a new vector in the public discourse on ending the war: the argumentation is shifting from purely diplomatic and humanitarian arguments to a technological one — that further escalation in the context of autonomous AI could become irreversible for humanity. The call to "slow down" the development of combat AI effectively amounts to a demand for international negotiations on the regulation of military algorithms, which had not previously been voiced in such an explicit form on the UN platform.
