The President of Ukraine is calling on the citizens to defend the country – and has promised weapons to anyone who asks
Volodymyr Zalansky asked the Ukrainians to enlist, and called on Russian citizens “who have not lost their conscience” to come out and demonstrate. He also said he had talked to world leaders, with whom he had “started forming a coalition against Putin.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zalansky called on all citizens to stand up and defend against Russian forces, saying the country would provide weapons to anyone who wanted them.
Vladimir Zalansky, Prime Minister of Ukraine (Photo: Reuters)
Zalansky urged world leaders to provide defense assistance to Ukraine and help protect its airspace from Russian aggression. “I have talked to President Biden, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Johnson, the President of the European Council, the President of Poland and the President of Lithuania. We have begun to form a coalition against Putin,” he said.
“I have called on world leaders to slam Putin on all possible sanctions, to offer large-scale support and protection and to close airspace over Ukraine,” the Ukrainian prime minister continued. “Together, we must save Ukraine, save the democratic world – and we will do it.”
In addition, Zalansky called on Russian citizens to come out and demonstrate against the war. “For anyone in the Russian Federation who has not lost his conscience, it is time to go out in anti-war demonstrations with Ukraine.”
(Photo: AP)
Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry began taking steps to officially sever diplomatic ties with Russia. “Our country has taken such a step in response to the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine, the invasion of Russian troops to destroy the country, the seizure of Ukrainian territory by force and the establishment of control of the occupation,” it said.
“We emphasize that Russia’s offensive action is an attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, a blatant violation of the UN Charter and fundamental norms and principles of international law.” However, Ukraine will not sever consular relations with Russia: The Ukrainians in Russia, including political prisoners. “
Russia, as mentioned, launched a total invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea – in the largest offensive of any country in Europe since World War II, which confirmed the fears of the West.
Explosion in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev
The Ukrainian military said earlier that it had shot down six Russian planes and killed about 50 Russian soldiers, while the Russian military denied the allegations. However, the Ukrainian government announced that more than 40 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed by Russian forces, and that dozens more had been wounded. An adviser to the president’s office, Oleksi Arstovich, said that in addition to the military casualties, “as far as I know – there are currently several civilian casualties – up to ten.”
Zalansky, giving a speech as Russian forces entered the country from three sides, said Russia had attacked Ukraine in a “cunning way” almost like Hitler in World War II, adding that Russia was “for evil.”
(Photo: AP)
Zalansky called on “anyone who can” to join the army to do so – and called on all discharged soldiers to stand up for the state. He added that the Ukrainian army was engaged in “heavy fighting with the aim of repelling attacks in the east, north and south.”
“The enemy has suffered heavy casualties, and they will be even heavier … they have entered our country,” the Ukrainian prime minister warned.
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