I Need Ammunition, Not A Ride: Ukraine President On Rejecting US Offer To Flee Kyiv

Mumbai: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has turned down the offer by the US government to evacuate Kyiv amid Russian forces’ attack on the capital, AP reported.

When the U.S. asked Ukraine’s president to leave his country and excited Zelensky said, “The fight is here; I want ammunition, not a ride,” the AP quoted a senior US intelligence official familiar with direct knowledge of the conversation as saying.

Russian troops continued their siege of Kivy amid repeated calls from the West to withdraw from Ukrainian territory and abide by the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been reluctant to heed such calls and has urged the Ukrainian military to revolt.

As rumours of Zelensky fleeing the country began to float on social media, the Ukrainian president, along with his key aides, posted a video of him standing outside the presidential palace and vowing to defend Kiev against Russian aggression.

The Ukrainian president is reaching out to other countries, especially the West, for military aid. Zelensky said on Friday that he had spoken to US President Joe Biden about military aid and sanctions.

Zelensky expressed his gratitude for the “strong” US support on Twitter, writing that “strong sanctions, solid defence support and an anti-war coalition have just been discussed”

The West-backed resolution, calling for unconditional withdrawal from Ukrainian territory, also failed at the UN Security Council as Russia expectedly vetoed it. Eleven members voted for the adoption of the resolution and three, including India and China, abstained.

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