Zelensky says Russia wouldn’t be deploying reserve troops if it wanted to negotiate
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that Russia accumulating reserve troops in the south of Ukraine shows that Moscow is not interested in negotiating.
Zelensky said in an address to his people that Russia is activating emissaries to suggest that Moscow wants to hold negotiations on the conflict but that they should not be believed.
He said Russia “has begun to realize the inevitability of being recognized as a terrorist state” and added that the country is “number one among terrorists.”
Zelensky called for the United Nations to label Russia a terrorist state and expel it from the organization after a Russian bomb hit a shopping mall in late June. Members of Congress have urged the Biden administration to label Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, which is defined as a country that has “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.”
Zelensky said Russia is trying to brand the Azov Regiment, a unit in Ukraine’s National Guard, as terrorists, which he called “absurd.”
He noted in his address that Switzerland, which historically has pursued policies of neutrality in international conflicts, joined the most recent sanctions package that the European Union placed on Russia, which he said he is grateful for.
“When such a country does not remain neutral in the protection of values and human morality, it is a very important signal for the whole world,” he said.
Zelensky said he spoke with students from more than 20 Australian universities, as well as Australian media and politicians, to urge the country to help Ukraine in fighting Russian disinformation about the war and spread the truth of “Russian terror.” He said the Ukrainian point of view needs to be heard in parts of the world still hearing Russian propaganda like the Pacific, South and East Asia, the Arab world, Africa and Latin America.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.