During his visit to New York, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visited the 9/11 Memorial on the site of the destroyed World Trade Centre. The Head of State paid tribute to the 2,977 people who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. This year, the US marked the 25th anniversary of the tragedy. The victims included citizens from over 90 countries, including Ukrainians.
Zelenskyy paid tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York
Volodymyr Zelenskyy On 22 September, he visited the National Memorial 11 September in Lower Manhattan.
The laying of flowers at the 9/11 Memorial had been included in advance in the programme for the Ukrainian President’s visit to New York, where the 81st session of the UN General Assembly is taking place this week. This was reported by the President’s spokesperson, Serhiy Nikiforov.
The memorial complex is situated on the site of the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, which were destroyed during the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. The names of those who lost their lives are engraved on bronze panels surrounding two large memorial pools.
25 years since the 11 September tragedy
In 2026, the United States will celebrate The 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
On 11 September 2001, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger aircraft. Two crashed into the towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, the third into the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after the passengers attempted to regain control of the aircraft.
The attacks resulted in the deaths of 2,977 people: 2,753 in New York, 184 at the Pentagon and 40 on board Flight 93. The victims included people from more than 90 countries around the world.
On 11 September this year, Zelenskyy had already mentioned the tragedy in his speech, emphasising that there were Ukrainians among the victims. The President also pointed out that, following the attacks in 2001, NATO invoked Article 5 on collective defence for the first time in its history.
Among the dead were Ukrainians
For Ukraine, the 9/11 Memorial also holds a special symbolic significance.
During previous visits to the memorial, Zelenskyy paid tribute to the Ukrainians who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks. In particular, in 2019 he met with a sister and a friend Ivan Skala — an American police officer of Ukrainian descent who, on 11 September, voluntarily set out to rescue people and lost his life.
In 2021, Zelenskyy also drew attention to the Ukrainian names engraved on the memorial.
This year’s 25th-anniversary ceremony in New York was dedicated to the memory of 2,983 people — 2,977 victims of the 11 September attacks and six people who died in the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing.
Zelenskyy has a packed schedule in New York
The President is in the US to take part in the high-level week of the UN General Assembly.
On 22 September, Zelenskyy is also due to hold talks with US President Donald Trump. Topics to be discussed include possible steps towards de-escalation, the protection of Ukraine’s energy sector, and the strengthening of air and missile defences.
Prior to this, the Head of State met in New York with a bipartisan delegation of US senators and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.
