Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday denounced what he called “unkept promises” by the West to protect Ukraine from Russian attacks.
“It’s been 13 days we’ve been hearing promises, 13 days we’ve been told we’ll be helped in the air, that there will be planes, that they will be delivered to us,” Zelensky said speaking to ABC News.
“But the responsibility for that rests also on those who were not capable to take a decision in the West for 13 days. On those who have not secured the Ukrainian skies from Russia,” Zelensky added.
Meanwhile, he said Ukraine is ready to consider “discussing” the status of Crimea and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
“I’m talking about security guarantees. I think items regarding temporarily occupied territories and unrecognized republics that have not been recognized by anyone but Russia, these pseudo-republics. But we can discuss and find the compromise on how these territories will live on. What is important to me is how the people in those territories are going to live who want to be part of Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
His comments follow remarks by Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov on Monday calling on Ukraine to demilitarize, guarantee its non-bloc status, and recognize Crimea and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
Warning that Ukraine is “not prepared for ultimatums,” Zelensky nevertheless expressed willingness for dialogue with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
“Regarding NATO, I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago, after we understood that NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine. The alliance is afraid of controversial things and confrontation with Russia. We never wanted to be a country that is begging for something on its knees, and we are not going to be that country and I don’t want to be that president,” the Ukrainian president said.
Source: AFP and Sputnik
