Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky said ‘there is a front line everywhere’ in his
country as it faces the Russian invasion. He also said that his country is more
united than ever because of the war.

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“This
war, a difficult war, has truly united our nation. You are asking me how’s the
situation on the front line … there’s a front line everywhere,” Zelensky said
in a press briefing on Saturday, reported CNN.

“A few
small towns just don’t exist anymore. And this is a tragedy. They are just
gone. And people are also gone. They are gone forever. So we are all on the
front line. The people who died there, they died among us,” he said.

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Zelensky
said Ukraine has lost approximately 1,300 troops as of Saturday.

He also
said that the negotiations to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “must begin with
a ceasefire.”

“Our
diplomats are working on the details of the agenda of the possible meeting of
Ukrainian and Russian delegations,” he said. “I would like this to
happen. So we can actually, not just on words, start the process of settlement,
peace and the end of war.”

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“This is
how the end to war starts in a civilized world,” he said.

Zelensky
said that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have begun to talk rather than
“exchange ultimatums” and that he is “pleased” with signals from the
Russian Federation.

‘NATO
members lack courage’

The
Ukrainian president said he believes diplomacy would bring peace as there was
“a signal” coming from the Russian side about being ready to negotiate,
although he gave no details on what this signal was.

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Zelensky,
however, emphasized that Western partners need to be more involved in
discussions and even provide their own security guarantees to Ukraine, as
Ukraine will “never be able to trust Russia after such a bloody war.”

He
slammed NATO’s member nations for their unwillingness to declare Ukraine a
no-fly zone. Zelensky alleged that the members “lack the courage to come
together for Ukraine” and that there is “no agreed position” on whether Ukraine
can join the alliance. Zelensky said his country is grateful for the bilateral
support Ukraine has received from certain NATO countries but added that his
country is “suffering now.”