President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during a telephone conversation with President of the European Council Charles Michel called for the imposition of sanctions against Russia to “deter the aggressive intentions of the Kremlin”, according to the website of the Ukrainian President.
The parties discussed further steps to support Ukraine from the EU, the publication says.
“The leaders discussed the security situation around our state, as well as the steps taken to de-escalate and achieve peace within the existing negotiation formats, in particular in the Normandy one,” the press service reports.
Zelenskiy thanked Michel and EU leaders for their support, including the decision to provide Ukraine with a macro-financial assistance package. He said that Ukraine has been in the current situation since 2014 and the country is “ready for any scenario.” The President pointed to the need to introduce preventive sanctions against Russia in order to curb the aggressive intentions of the Kremlin, the report says.
On February 12, Zelensky also said that Ukraine “is aware of the risks of an escalation of the situation on the part of Russia, is preparing for any scenario and is holding constant consultations with international partners to resolve the conflict through political and diplomatic means.”
Earlier, US President Joe Biden told allies in the West that Russia intends to attack Ukraine on February 16, Politico reported, citing US officials.
On February 11, the Ukrainian side demanded clarification from Russia about military activities on the border of the countries. The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stressed that Russia has 48 hours to send an official response. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Kremlin, have repeatedly stressed that the very idea of a war with Ukraine is unacceptable and the country is not going to attack anyone.