President Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky urges the West to increase military aid to a country that continues to be attacked Russia on the eighth day of the invasion.
Zelensky warned that if the West failed to help, causing Ukraine to fall into Russian hands, the Baltic states would become Moscow’s next “aggression” target.
“If you don’t have the power to boycott the airspace (of Russian planes), give us planes!” Zelensky exclaimed in a firm tone at a press conference on Thursday (3/3).
“If we (Ukraine) are destroyed, then Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia will be the next (targets). Trust me,” he added.
On that occasion, Zelensky also expressed his intention to speak directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He thinks the only way to stop the war is to talk to Putin.
“We are not attacking Russia and we are not planning to attack it. What do you want from us? Leave our lands,” Zelensky said, referring to Putin.
“Sit with me,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Putin chose to continue carrying out military operations in Ukraine without mercy.
Putin promised his troops would continue to fight against what he called “nationalists” in Ukraine, even though Russia has now been punished by the world with sanctions and embargoes on many sectors of the invasion.
“Russia intends to continue its uncompromising war against insurgents of nationalist armed groups,” Putin said during a telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday (3/3).
Putin has even threatened to increase demands on Ukraine as a condition of peace if it appears there is an attempt to hold back and slow down talks between Moscow and Kiev.
“Slowing down conflict talks will only lead to additional demands from our country on Kiev at the negotiating table,” Putin warned Macron.
Ukraine and Russia themselves have completed the second round of dialogue since the invasion took place on Thursday (3/3) evening local time.
Representatives of Ukraine regretted the negotiations which lasted for three hours on the Belarus-Poland border because they did not meet their expectations.
Of the three issues that were the main agenda of the negotiations, only one was successfully agreed by both parties.
“The second round of negotiations is over. Unfortunately, the results that Ukraine wants have not been achieved. There is only one solution (achievable) to (agree) on setting up a humanitarian corridor,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak, head of the delegation, tweeted.
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