The Ukrainian president severed his country’s diplomatic ties with Moscow, and called on all experienced citizens to “join the defense of Ukraine”.
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“Ukraine will defend and win”. Faced with the invasion led by Russian forces in the eastern territories of Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky detailed a set of responses, in a video posted on Facebook Thursday, February 24.
The main measures concern the military aspect. After comparing the actions of Vladimir Putin to those of “Nazi Germany”, Volodymyr Zelensky proclaimed martial law throughout the country. The Ukrainian president, who had already mobilized reservists aged 18 to 60, demanded that “those who have combat experience and are suitable to join the defense of Ukraine” present themselves at recruiting centres. According to the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, the leader ordered his troops to“inflict maximum losses on the aggressor”. The army already claims to have killed “about 50 Russian occupants”.
The army is already deployed on the main roads in eastern Ukraine to help evacuate the population. But these operations are hampered by artillery fire and faulty communications, according to a civil defense spokesman, because the Russian offensives are not limited to the separatist regions but hit the whole country. Ukraine’s airspace has also been closed to civil aviation.
The Ukrainian leader also announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Moscow, relations which had been maintained even after the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014. He nevertheless sent a message to Russian citizens, on the other side of the border, to encourage them to “exit” in the street and “protest against this war”.
Finally, Volodymyr Zelensky is counting on the support of Western countries and NATO. Shortly before the start of the Russian maneuvers, he had again demanded “security guarantees, clear and concrete, immediately”as well as guarantees on future membership of the European Union.