KYIV, Feb 27: "The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride," Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky told the United States when President Joe Biden
offered to evacuate him as the invading Russian troops were closing in on the
Capital Kyiv even as they were bombarding cities and military facilities all
across the country.
Zelensky regretted the world was still just observing the events in Ukraine
from a distance. "This morning, we are defending our country alone. Just like
yesterday, the most powerful country in the world looked on from a distance,"
he said in a Facebook video.
The President said that the 27-bloc NATO was scared to let Ukraine into the
global body. He said his country ended up defending itself on its own. "No one
was ready to guarantee that Ukraine would eventually become a NATO member. Everyone
is afraid, everyone is silent."
However, the Ukrainian leader stated, "I’m thankful to every country that is
helping Ukraine by deeds, not just by words." He appealed for international
assistance in a tweet.
Zelensky's condition on Russian offer of talks
Moscow proposed talks on Sunday again to end the invasion. It said its delegation
has arrived in Belarus for talks with Ukrainian counterparts. However, Zelensky
rejected the offer of talks in Belarus as he said Minsk itself was complicit
in the invasion, and suggested other venues like Warsaw, Bratislava, Budapest,
Istanbul or Baku for talks. Zelensky is reported to have said, “We want to talk,
we want to end the war.”
But "We will not put down weapons, we will defend our State," Zelensky had
said in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's main demand to end the
invasion. He is defiant and will hold on.
