Ukrainian President
Zelenskyj: «We defend our state alone»
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the nation at the end of the first day of Russia’s attacks. Zelensky announces the imposition of martial law and calls on the population to remain calm. Photo: Ukrainian President’s Office/ZUMA Press Wire Service/dpa
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Russia has attacked the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, showing that, contrary to what it has announced, it is not only targeting military targets. President Selenskyj blames the West.
After large-scale Russian attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj accused the Kremlin of targeted action against the civilian population.
“The aim of this attack is pressure,” said Zelenskyj in a video message to his compatriots. «Pressure on you, dear citizens. Pressure on our society.” Contrary to their own announcements, the Russians made no distinction between military targets and residential buildings.
At the same time, the Ukrainian head of state criticized the lack of support from abroad: “We defend our state alone. The mightiest forces in the world are watching from afar.” Even the new Western sanctions against Moscow are not enough: «Have yesterday’s sanctions convinced Russia? In the skies above us and on our earth, we hear that this is not enough.”
Selenskyj: “It all reminds me of 1941”
Addressing the Russian population, Zelenskyy said: «Dear citizens of the Russian Federation, as I said earlier, the bombing of residential areas of the hero city of Kiev began last night. It’s all reminiscent of 1941.” At that time, after Hitler’s Germany attacked the Soviet Union, the Second World War began for the then communist empire, to which Ukraine belonged.
Referring to the people who demonstrated against the war in Moscow and other cities despite the threat of punishment, Zelenskyj added: “All citizens who protest: We see you.” Uniformed Russian security forces sometimes used brute force. There were more than 1,700 arrests during the protests in 55 cities in Russia, according to the human rights group OWD-Info.