Ukraine cannot fulfil Russian ultimatums, says President Zelenskyy
Categories: FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Ukraine cannot fulfil "Russian ultimatums". He said Russia wanted Ukraine to "hand over" Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kyiv but this was not something the people of those cities or he, as president, could do.In a video address, President Zelenskyy also hailed the people in occupied Kherson who came out to protest on Monday. Russian troops had used stun grenades and fired in the air to disperse the demonstrators. He said, “We saw slaves shooting at free people, slaves of propaganda that replaced their conscience. The war has turned ordinary Ukrainians into heroes and the enemy doesn't believe it's all real. There is no need to organise resistance. Resistance for Ukrainians is part of their soul.”Russia declared war on Ukraine on February 24 and has been launching strikes across the nation ever since. According to the UN, as a result of the war, 10 million people have been displaced across Ukraine, including some 3.4 million who have fled to neighbouring countries such as Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Hungary.Hundreds of civilians, including children, have died in Ukraine in the war. Meanwhile, Ukraine has claimed that more than 14,000 Russian soldiers have been killed so far.Western nations, led by the US, have imposed harsh sanctions and financial penalties on Russia in a bid to pressurise the country into halting its offensive.