Ukraine war: "They will come and get you" - Zelenskyj warns the West

Created: 05/07/2022, 08:36

By: Daniel Dillman

After more than two months of war in Ukraine, peace seems far away.

Volodymyr Zelenskyj puts conditions on Russia.

• 72 days of war:

  The Ukraine conflict continues unabated.

  The chance of a peaceful solution is vanishingly small.

• Diplomatic Efforts:

  Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, appeals to the West and issues an urgent warning.

• Support for Kiev:

  You can read all developments in diplomatic efforts in the Ukraine war and news about aid for Ukraine in our news ticker.

Kyiv - The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has again spoken about possible peace negotiations with Russia in the Ukraine war.

Should these resume, Russian President Vladimir Putin would first have to meet a number of conditions, Zelensky said.

According to Zelenskyy, the Russian troops would have to withdraw completely to the positions they held more than two months ago before the start of hostilities in the Ukraine war.

That is the “minimum”, emphasized Zelenskyj.

According to the US news portal Newsweek, the Ukrainian president said on Friday that the country was not prepared to cede territory to Russia.

Ukraine has a "bright future" ahead of it, and the "atrocities committed by the Russian troops" will not change that.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, during a televised speech.

© Ukraine Presidency/imago

Negotiations in the Ukraine war: Selenskyj does not want to become president of the "mini-Ukraine".

Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not want to give up hope of an early peace with Russia or at least a temporary ceasefire.

For this, however, the "integrity of the borders" of Ukraine must be restored.

Giving up areas, for example in the hard-fought east of the country, to Russia is not an option.

"I was elected by the people of Ukraine as President of Ukraine, not as President of a mini-Ukraine or anything like that," Zelenskyy said.

But the Ukrainian President also stressed that the recently closed diplomatic channels between Russia and Ukraine should be reopened.

But even for this, the "security of the situation before February 23" must be restored.

On February 24, Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

It is also important that Russia no longer obstructs the evacuation of the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.

Zelenskyy warns west of Russia: "They will come and get you"

For the West, consisting primarily of the EU and the USA, Volodymyr Zelenskyj had a clear warning ready: "If Ukraine falls, God forbid, then [Russian troops] will also come to you.

Maybe in a few years or a generation.

But they will come and get you." (dil)