Zelensky wants to “do one thing” before leaving, the US is gathering all its generals, Gustavo Petro delivers a “Castro-style” speech against Trump, and Erdoğan returns having resolved a five-year issue – Weekend

Zelensky has finally revealed when he intends to step down. He says he will leave office once Russia’s invasion ends. However, before that happens, Ukraine’s incumbent president plans to target Moscow.

Zelensky was not the only one to leave a meeting with Trump with good news about weapons. Erdoğan also brought back positive developments.

The United States is gathering its top military commanders from around the world. Although officials say there is no cause for alarm, it is important to remember that Washington currently stands on the brink of war with Venezuela.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has left an indelible mark on UN history. Both his speech at the General Assembly and the demonstrations he led in New York were seen as highly significant.

Read about the key events that shaped the world over the past week in QALAMPIR.UZ’s Weekend program.

Erdoğan returns from meeting Trump with tangible results

The most significant meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly was the talks between Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. On September 25, Trump welcomed the Turkish president to the White House. The meeting was expected to resolve many long-standing misunderstandings between Washington and Ankara. Issues likely at the center of the talks included the advanced fighter jets the US had refused to sell to Turkey, and Ankara’s purchase of a Russian air defense system despite being a NATO member.

During the meeting at the White House, Trump described Erdoğan as “a very strong and respected man.” He also noted that relations between the two countries had been much colder under former president Joe Biden, but that Erdoğan remained his friend. The US president hinted that an agreement on the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey was close, saying that sanctions imposed on Turkey “would be lifted immediately if the meeting goes well.”

Speaking to reporters after the two-hour meeting, Trump called the talks “very productive” but refrained from disclosing details, saying all information would be made public soon.

Several media outlets reported that Trump, as he has done with other major powers, asked Erdoğan to stop buying oil from Russia. Later, during a press briefing at the White House, the US president declined to discuss the matter but said that if he made such a request, he believed Turkey would comply.

Another key issue addressed during the negotiations was the lifting of sanctions imposed on Turkey for purchasing F-35 jets. Trump and Erdoğan, who have both been increasingly described by critics as authoritarian leaders, have had a complicated relationship in the past. However, with Trump back in power, their interests now align on the issue of Syria — previously the greatest source of tension between the two countries. Both Washington and Ankara are now supporting the central government there.

In fact, restrictions on the sale of fighter jets to Turkey were introduced in 2020 by Trump himself after Ankara purchased the Russian S-400 missile system. At this latest meeting, the two sides discussed defense industry matters, including the F-35s and Turkey’s planned purchase of 40 F-16 fighter jets, as well as regional conflicts, energy, and trade issues. As NATO’s second-largest military power, Turkey aims to strengthen its air capabilities to counter growing threats in the Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Black Sea — regions neighboring both Russia and Ukraine.

Pentagon gathers its generals

While the most important political event of the year was underway in the US, the Pentagon ordered hundreds of American generals and admirals stationed around the world to urgently return home. According to The Washington Post, Pete Hegseth summoned them to a US Marine Corps base in Virginia. Officials stressed that there was no cause for panic and that the US was not preparing for any specific military mission. Rather, senior military leaders from distant posts would travel thousands of kilometers just to listen to a short address by Hegseth, which is expected to focus on military standards and “fighting spirit.”

Nevertheless, reports indicate that many high-ranking officers arriving from around the world were surprised and concerned by the sudden call. All senior officers — from brigadier generals and rear admirals upward — as well as their top advisers were ordered to attend the meeting. The US currently has about 800 generals and admirals serving both domestically and in dozens of other countries.

According to CNN, Hegseth is expected to outline plans to transform the Department of Defense into the Department of War, set new standards for soldiers, and present the future structure of the armed forces. A White House spokesperson described the gathering as a “show of force.” The meeting is expected to take the form of a “motivational rally,” where new norms for fighting spirit, combat readiness, physical fitness, and other requirements will be introduced. A Pentagon spokesperson compared the effort to “driving horses into the stable and bringing them into discipline.” Hegseth reportedly wants to see officers with star epaulettes remain in his ranks — warning that otherwise, their careers could be at risk.

As mentioned earlier, this does not necessarily mean the US is preparing for anything specific. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance downplayed the significance of the event, calling it routine and saying they would attend if necessary.

Yet, there is reason for concern. The Pentagon’s gathering comes at a time when US foreign policy is far from peaceful. Trump is on the brink of war with Venezuela. To date, the US has already sunk several Venezuelan vessels. Some sources warn that Washington is now discussing the possibility of directly striking Venezuela and may have already begun preparations. The US frames these actions as part of Trump’s campaign against drug trafficking. However, the world knows where Washington has used similar strategies in the past — and the grim outcomes. The most troubling part is that when American troops enter countries under the pretext of destroying something and fail to find it, they simply apologize and leave — but not before leaving behind ruins, cries of despair, hunger, thirst, and thousands of orphaned children.

A historic speech at the UN

Social media often showcases historic speeches delivered at sessions of the UN General Assembly. Leaders of the past and present have left lasting impressions on this stage, either through their words or their actions. The 80th session this year added another such speech to history, delivered by Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

In recent times, Latin American political heavyweights have become a significant challenge for Donald Trump. Nicolás Maduro, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Gustavo Petro have all seen their relations with Washington deteriorate sharply since Trump took office. The United States considers some of them, including Colombia, as allies. However, one might question whether Trump truly understands the meaning of “alliance” or “strategic partnership,” as his approach often seems devoid of political values. As a result, relations between the United States and not only Colombia but also other key partners have cooled since he assumed power.

On September 24, Petro made history with both his speech at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly and his street demonstrations in New York. In his address, he called for criminal charges against US officials, including the president, over military operations in the Caribbean. It is widely known that the United States has recently targeted Venezuelan assets, sinking several vessels in a highly destructive campaign. Petro accused the US president of ordering strikes on ships carrying “young people seeking to escape poverty.”

He began his speech by saying, “This may be my last time standing here as president,” and spent the rest of his address launching a fierce critique of Trump. Petro condemned the US leader for failing to address issues such as climate change, genocide, and other global challenges, focusing instead on threats and violence. He stressed that “the world is not just the United States and Israel.”

Such blunt criticism of the US president, delivered in the United States itself, is characteristic of leaders from the Caribbean basin and Latin America. Except for a few Arab leaders, they have consistently taken this approach.

But Petro did not stop there. He staged an unexpected demonstration in the streets of New York in support of Palestine — a move few anticipated. Fully aware that this could cost him his US visa, Petro joined pro-Palestinian activists and delivered a speech in his native language. He also called on US military personnel to disobey Trump’s orders. These remarks later prompted the US State Department to revoke his visa.

“Colombian President Gustavo Petro took to the streets of New York, urging American soldiers to disobey orders and inciting violence. We are revoking his visa due to his reckless and provocative actions,” the official statement read.

Following this, Petro proposed relocating the UN headquarters out of New York. He cited the example of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who was denied a visa to attend this year’s session.

“Presidents participating in the Assembly should enjoy full immunity. The denial of entry to Palestinian officials and the revocation of my visa for urging the US and Israeli armies not to support genocide — a crime against humanity — demonstrate that the US government is violating international law. The United Nations headquarters should not remain in New York,” Petro wrote.

Petro also noted that he did not need a visa but rather an online travel authorization for short visits to the US, as he holds not only Colombian but also European citizenship.

As long as the UN headquarters remains in the United States, questions of fairness in participation and speech will continue to persist.

Zelensky plans to strike Moscow before leaving office

The Telegraph reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked for Tomahawk missiles capable of striking targets in Moscow during a closed-door meeting with Donald Trump in New York. According to the report, Zelensky told the US president that such high-precision weapons could help force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. Several sources claim Trump responded positively to the request.

In an interview after the meeting, Zelensky confirmed that Trump was open to the idea of providing long-range cruise missiles. However, it remains unclear whether Kyiv will actually receive the Tomahawks. If it does, Moscow will undoubtedly be at risk. These missiles can travel between 1,250 and 2,500 kilometers, allowing them to strike deep behind enemy lines with high precision. Until now, the United States has refrained from supplying them to Ukraine, fearing escalation into direct conflict with Russia.

The mere fact that such a powerful weapon is now under consideration for transfer to Kyiv signals a potential turning point in the war. The West fully understands that Ukraine serves as a shield against Russian aggression. Moreover, as soon as talk of Tomahawks began, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko — often acting as Putin’s intermediary with those he cannot or will not speak to — expressed interest in negotiating with Zelensky. It was Lukashenko, for example, who helped suppress Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny two years ago.

Zelensky also announced that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had deployed the Patriot air defense system supplied by Israel. During a press conference, he warned that if Russia attempts to leave Ukraine without electricity, Kyiv will respond by striking Russian energy infrastructure. According to him, “civilized states never attack first and are not aggressors, but that does not mean they are weak.”

The Patriot, developed by the US company Raytheon, is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system designed to intercept aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. It consists of a control center, radar, guidance stations, and launchers.

Regarding his departure from office, Zelensky confirmed that remaining president is not his primary goal. He declared his readiness to step down once the war with Russia ends and said he would initiate elections in Ukraine if a ceasefire is achieved.

When asked, “Will you consider your mission complete once the war ends?” Zelensky replied: “My goal is not to continue running in elections but to end the war.”

At this point, Zelensky sent a strong signal to Putin, warning that if Russia does not end the war, its officials “should know where their nearest bomb shelter is.” These remarks suggested that Trump might have been persuaded to provide cruise missiles capable of reaching Moscow. Zelensky stressed that Ukraine would not target civilians but made it clear that Russian power centers, including the Kremlin, could be within the strike zone.

“They should know where the bomb shelters are. If they do not stop the war, they will need them. They must understand that Ukraine will respond every day. If we are attacked, we will strike back,” Zelensky said.