Ukrainian President Zelensky has addressed the UN General Assembly in New York, seeking further support in the war against Russia
He urged the gathering of nearly 200 world leaders to unify, and not to discuss matters behind closed doors
"Evil cannot be trusted, just ask Prigozhin," Zelensky said, referring to the former ally of Vladimir Putin who died last month in a plane crash
The former boss of the Wagner group led an aborted mutiny against Russia's armed forces in June
Zelensky warned of the threat of Russia's nuclear weapons, as well as the threat posed by the weaponisation of food and AI
Earlier, US President Joe Biden told world leaders that they must stand together against Russia
Madeline Halpert
At the UN General Assembly
I’m here in New York this morning where dozens of delegates are still taking their places for the annual UN General Assembly.
Hoards of reporters are watching as they make their way into the packed event where President Joe Biden is scheduled to speak within the next hour.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, UNToday's session started a short time ago - António Guterres has been introducing it.
He began by talking about the flood that killed thousands in Derna, Libya - he says they're a symbol of the world's ills.
"Even as we speak now, bodies are washing ashore from the same Mediterranean Sea where billionaires sunbathe on their super yachts," Guterres said.
"Derna is a sad snapshot of the state of our world - the flood of inequity, of injustice, of inability to confront the challenges in our midst."
Image source, Getty ImagesUkrainian President Zelensky will be using his time garnering more support for his country’s war against Russia. He has two aims, according to a Ukrainian official cited by Politico, external. He wants to:
It's a tough ask - so far, many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America have hesitated in openly taking sides in the conflict in an attempt to maintain a relationship with both eastern and western powers so as not to damage their own interests.
Image source, Getty ImagesJoe Biden will be the second to speak this morning - we expect him at about 9.45 ET / 14.45 BST.
The US president is set to use the summit to urge the world to tackle the climate crisis, fund development in the Global South, and strengthen support for Ukraine, the White House’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, external said on Friday.
Biden’s speech today – the most widely watched event in the UN calendar – will be used to “advance a vision of American leadership that is built on the premise of working with others to solve the world’s most pressing problems,” he said.
The leaders of US rivals China and Russia, and allies UK and France won't be at this meeting. Without them present, Biden will have the opportunity to bolster the Washington’s relationship with the Global South.
With so many leaders in one place, it’s a good time for bilateral meetings between world leaders to be held on the sidelines.
For example, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met China’s vice president, Han Zheng, last night.
President Joe Biden is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and will also hold talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
He'll also be hosting Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in Washington DC on Thursday.
Despite world leaders traveling from around the globe to New York, it’s rare for the event to make top headlines.
However, some moments have broken through in recent years.
In 2019, Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who was 16-years-old at the time, told world leaders at the UN General Assembly’s Climate Action Summit:" You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. How dare you?"
In 2017, former US President Donald Trump said of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un: "Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself."
In 2009, Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi spoke for more than an hour and a half, at one point complaining about delegates leaving the conference hall. He also accused major powers of betraying the principles of the UN Charter, before later throwing a copy of it on to the ground.
In 2006, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called then-US President George W Bush "the devil".
He said that the podium, from which Bush had spoken the previous day,"still smells of sulphur".
Thunberg: 'If you choose to fail us we will never forgive you'
Image source, Getty ImagesLast minute preparations are made before the start of today's session
It's the main policy-making organ of the United Nations.
There are 193 member states and it makes key decisions for the UN regarding the organisation’s budget, election of non-permanent members of the Security Council, and the appointment of the Secretary-General.
Find out more about how it works here, external.
The General Assembly is not to be confused with the Security Council, which is made up of five permanent members - the US, Russia, China, France and the UK - and 10 more countries that change over time.
Tradition dictates that the first leader to speak is always from Brazil, followed by the host country, the US
Brazil kicks things off because in the early days when no country volunteered to go first, the nation often put itself forward as the first speaker. This has since become tradition.
When the US and Brazil have had their say, every other country's leader or representative, will have their chance. They can use any of the UN's six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish.
Speakers are asked to keep their statements to under 15 minutes, although this is regularly ignored. Cuba's Fidel Castro holds the record for the longest speech at four-and-a-half hours, in 1960. Hopefully we won't be dealing with anything like that today.
As a rough guide, we're expecting Biden at about 9.45ET /14.45BST and Zelensky at about 12.45ET / 17.45BST.
But we should warn you, these timings slip. They really do.
Emma Owen
Live reporter
Welcome to our live coverage of today’s UN general assembly meeting in New York.
It’s an opportunity for the leaders of nearly 200 countries to have their say on current events, and this year the focus is on Ukraine, climate change and sustainable development.
US President Biden and Ukrainian President Zelensky are among the leaders we'll be hearing from shortly.
We have reporters at the UN in New York, and together with our team here in Washington DC and London will be bringing you the latest updates.
You’ll also be able to watch the proceedings by clicking on the play button above in an hour’s time.
Stick with us.