ISLAMABAD: The top US diplomat Marco Rubio issued a blunt call to his Russian counterpart to halt the "killing" in Ukraine Wednesday, as Washington's stance on Moscow hardens, AFP reported.
Rubio "reiterated President (Donald) Trump's call for the killing to stop and the need for Moscow to take meaningful steps toward a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.
Lavrov fired back and "stressed the unacceptability of the schemes promoted by Kyiv and some European capitals aimed at prolonging the conflict," according to a readout of their conversation supplied by the Russian side.
Unexpected turn
Rubio's comments came after President Volodymyr Zelensky praised Trump following the US president's unexpected turn against Russia Tuesday, in which he suggested that Kyiv could not only win the war and re-take its territory -- but could even expand it.
But the Ukrainian leader cast doubt Wednesday on NATO's ability to guarantee Kyiv's security.
"Because international institutions are too weak, this madness continues. Even being part of the long-standing military alliance doesn't automatically mean you are safe," Zelensky told the UN General Assembly.
‘Good meeting’
Zelensky said he had a "good meeting" with Trump, who has ruled out NATO membership for Kyiv and berated the Ukrainian leader at a February encounter at the White House before warming to him.
"Of course we are doing everything to make sure Europe truly helps and of course, we count on the United States," Zelensky said.
Trump's suggestion Tuesday that Kyiv could win, with support from the European Union and NATO, marked an extraordinary shift after months of saying Ukraine would not get back swaths of territory taken by Russia, AFP reported.
Trump said Ukraine could regain all its land and suggested, without elaborating, that Kyiv could "maybe even go further than that!"
In a social media post on White House X handle, President Trump said “Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.”
“In any event, I wish both Countries well. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!”
'Big fat missiles'
The US leader's comments marked his latest in a series of policy switches on Ukraine, including a sudden pivot to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin early this year that stunned allies, AFP reported.
Zelensky, in his speech at the UN, appealed: “Be the force that acts. Act together. Unite at last to stop Russia’s war. We know how to guarantee security. What we need now is a strong push – to force Russia toward peace.”
Zelensky warned Wednesday that Europe could not afford to lose strategically located Moldova to Russian influence and let it follow Belarus and Georgia into Moscow's orbit, AFP reported.
Moldova, a former Soviet republic, goes to the polls on Sunday with pro-EU President Maia Sandu facing a barrage of deepfake videos and other disinformation linked to Russia.
Zelensky also sounded the alarm over the development of autonomous drones and unmanned aerial vehicles capable of shooting down other drones and targeting critical infrastructure.
‘Friends and weapons’
"We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history, because this time it includes artificial intelligence," he said, adding that the only real security guarantees are "friends and weapons."
"If the world can't respond even to all threats, and if there is no strong platform for international security, will there be any peace left on earth?"
The wartime leader, who has a packed itinerary of meetings with world leaders while in New York for the UN's signature diplomatic week, stressed that Ukraine had been forced to ramp up its military production.
"Ukraine doesn't have the big fat missiles dictators love to show off in parades, but we do have drones that can fly up to 2,000, 3,000 kilometers.
"We had no choice but to build them to protect our right to life."
