Speaking at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a stark warning about the future of Eastern Europe, declaring that Georgia has already drifted away from Europe’s democratic path and urging the international community not to allow Moldova to follow the same trajectory.
“We have already lost Georgia in Europe. Human rights, European values, and the state system are only shrinking there. Georgia has become increasingly dependent on Russia, and for many years Belarus has also been moving in the same direction. Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader criticized what he described as the world’s inadequate response to Russian aggression in the region, recalling how international support for Georgia was insufficient following the 2008 war. “It is important to remember how the world once ignored the need to help Georgia after Russia’s attack, how the moment was missed with Moldova — and how Moldova cannot be lost now,” he stressed.
Zelensky urged European institutions to provide tangible support to Chisinau, emphasizing that such assistance would be far less costly than facing the consequences of Russian expansionism unchecked. “For Europe, supporting Moldova is not costly, but failing to do so will come at a much higher price,” he argued.
He called for immediate EU measures, including financial and energy support, and highlighted that Europe’s commitment should go beyond symbolic political gestures or wartime solidarity. “We must not forget to protect the rights of people and nations in regions where these rights are under threat. The UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must apply everywhere,” Zelensky concluded.
