Ukraine's Prez asks Putin to sit down at the negotiating table

Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, called on the West to increase military aid to Ukraine on Thursday, claiming that if the West does not, Russia would advance on the rest of Europe.

As the second round of delegation-level talks between Russia and Ukraine begins in Belarus, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to sit down and discuss with him at the negotiating table.

“If you do not have the power to close the skies, then give me planes!” Zelensky told a press conference. “If we are no more then, God forbid, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia will be next,” he said, adding: “Believe me.”

He stated that direct discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin were the “sole way to end this war.”

“We are not attacking Russia and we do not plan to attack it. What do you want from us? Leave our land,” he said, addressing Putin.

“Sit down with me. Just not 30 metres away like with (French President Emmanuel Macron),” the Ukrainian leader said, referring to Putin receiving world leaders at a now famous enormously long table.

“Nobody imagined that in the current world a man can behave like a beast,” Zelensky remarked, only weeks after attempting to reassure Ukrainians about US allegations that Russia was planning to invade his country.

Last week, Putin started an invasion on Ukraine. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Russia claims it is not targeting civilian areas. Kyiv says more than 350 civilians have been killed since Putin launched the invasion. On Wednesday, Ukraine said Russian planes bombed a school in the northern city of Chernihiv, killing nine people.

Meanwhile, Putin spoke with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron earlier today, telling him that any move by Kyiv to postpone talks will result in Moscow adding more demands to its list. Putin stated that Russia’s goal is for Ukraine to become demilitarised and neutral.

Putin stated that the goals of Russia’s action in Ukraine – demilitarisation and neutrality – will be achieved in any circumstance. Any attempts by Kyiv to postpone negotiations, he said, would result in Moscow adding to its list of demands.

In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow’s military assault in Ukraine is “going according to plan.”

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