Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky launched in a video released on Saturday a new call for dialogue with Russia, assuring that “it is time to meet” to discuss “peace and security” and avoid losses for several generations.
“Negotiations on peace and security for Ukraine are the only opportunity for Russia to minimize the damage caused by its own mistakes,” Zelenski said in a video posted on Facebook and recorded at night on a deserted street.
“It's time to get together. It's time to argue. It is time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine,” said the head of state.
“Otherwise, the losses to Russia will be such that it will take several negotiations for it to recover,” he warned.
Both sides have held several sessions of face-to-face and videoconference negotiations since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24. The last one, the fourth, opened on Monday with the various delegations negotiating remotely.
In parallel to these talks, Russia continues its bombing of Ukrainian cities, often on civilian targets.
Zelensky addressed the situation in the besieged city of Mariupol, where a theater sheltering more than a thousand people were sheltering was bombed on Wednesday by Russian troops. The president assured that more than 130 survivors could be removed from the rubble.
“Some suffer, unfortunately, serious injuries. But at this time we do not have information on the number of possible deaths,” he said, noting that “rescue operations are continuing.”
According to him, thanks to humanitarian corridors deployed in the country, more than 180,000 Ukrainians were able to escape the fighting. More than 9,000 were from Mariupol.
“But the occupiers continue to block humanitarian aid, particularly around sensitive areas. It is a well-known tactic (...) It's a war crime,” Zelenski said.
Russia “will answer for this, 100%, “he insisted.
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