Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday (Feb 25) called on Europeans with combat experience to take up arms and defend Ukraine against a Russian invasion, because the West was too slow to help.
Zelenskyy's dramatic request came as Russian troops approached the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, with several units already reaching the northern outskirts of the city.
"If you have combat experience in Europe and don't want to see politicians hesitating, you can come to our country and join us in defending Europe, it's very much needed now," Zelenskyy, looking tired, said via video, as quoted by Reuters. Asian News Channels.
Speaking on the second day of the offensive launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy also called on Europeans to "demand from your government for Ukraine to receive more financial assistance, more military assistance".
The 44-year-old leader also said the West was in no hurry to help Ukraine fight the Russian invasion. "How are you going to defend yourself when you were so slow to help us in Ukraine?" he said.
"State institutions in Europe are not in a hurry with very strong decisions," he added.
Deadly battle has reached the outskirts of Kyiv
Zelenskyy demanded Europe go further and act without delay. "Europe has enough power to stop this aggression," he stressed.
"Cancellation of visas for Russia? Breaking up from SWIFT? Complete isolation of Russia? Withdrawal of ambassadors? Oil embargo? Closing the skies? Today, all this must be on the table," he pleaded.
The invasion of Russian troops is increasingly pressing deep into Ukraine. Deadly fighting has reached the outskirts of Kyiv, and several explosions have been heard in the Ukrainian capital.
The explosions in Kyiv early Friday sparked the second day of the invasion, after Putin defied Western warnings and unleashed a full-scale ground invasion and swift air strikes.
"Terrible Russian rocket attack in Kyiv," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter Friday (25/2), as quoted by Al Jazeera.
"The last time our capital experienced anything like this was in 1941, when it was attacked by Nazi Germany," he said.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine revealed that Russia used the Gomel Air Base in Belarus to organize troops to attack Kyiv due to the damage to the Gostomel Air Base near Kyiv.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense added in a statement on Facebook that Russian troops were currently advancing into Kyiv from several directions, as Ukrainian troops fought around Mariupol in the south and Kharkiv in the north-east of Ukraine.
"In order to intimidate the Ukrainian population, the enemy is increasingly choosing to destroy infrastructure and civilian housing," the Ukrainian military department said, as reported by Al Jazeera.
