New York: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia must stop bombing Ukrainian cities before meaningful talks on a ceasefire could start, as a first round of negotiations this week had yielded scant progress.
In an interview with CNN, Zelenskyy urged NATO members to impose a no-fly zone to stop the Russian air force, saying this would be a preventative measure and not meant to drag the alliance into war with Russia.
“It’s necessary to at least stop bombing people, just stop the bombing and then sit down at the negotiating table.”
While Ukraine has stood alone on the battlefield, it has pressed Europe to recognize that its own security is tied to that of the West.
The president has remained in Kyiv to rally his people against the Russian invasion, now in its sixth day, posting social media videos and constantly reassuring the population that neither he, his family, nor closest officials have left.
Asked how long his country would hold out, Zelenskyy said: “We do not hold out, we fight, and our nation will fight to the end. This is our home, we are protecting our land, our homes. For the sake of our children’s future.”
