Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked Germany to help save Kyiv from Russian invasion by blocking trade and banking services with Russia
The President of Ukraine – Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked Germany to help save Kyiv from Russian invasion by blocking trade and banking services with Russia.
In a televised address to the nation, Zelenskyy said Kyiv was used to be called a “new Berlin,” as it was similar to Berlin in its spirit of openness, emotion, freedom in the squares, sincerity of the people, clubs and parties. But now, Kyiv is destroyed.
He said, “Now Kyiv is closed. It is silent in anticipation of a new air raid siren that will force people into shelters.”
He said that without Europe and Germany, Russian won’t be able to fund war as it relies heavily on their trade and banks. He reiterated request to close European ports to Russia, relinquish Russian energy sources and cut off the supply of goods to Russia.
Zelenskyy also said that he is ready for negotiations with the President of Russia – Vladimir Putin, but warned that if any negotiation attempts fail, it could mean the fight between the two countries would lead to a third World War.
Zelenskyy
said, “I’m ready for negotiations with him. I was ready for the last two years. And I think that without negotiations, we cannot end this war.”
The Finance Minister of Germany – Annalena Baerbock ha said that European Union (E.U.) will increase financial aid and delivery of weapons to Ukraine. Baerbock also pointed out that the alliance must prevent the war spreading to other countries.
Speaking on the occasion, Baerbock said, “We will increase financial means for the purchase of military goods to 1 billion euros, in order to make clear, we stand with full solidarity on Ukraine’s side, we stand for the protection of the civil population in Ukraine.”
Besides, Mariupol has dared to reject the Russian ultimatum to surrender the city before 5:00 a.m. Moscow Time on Monday, March 21, 2022. The Russian Navy warships are shelling bombs every 10 minutes. The Ukrainian Defense Minister – Oleksii Reznikov said that Chernihiv and Sumy, in the country’s north, are surrounded and have been heavily damaged but are still under Ukrainian control. Meanwhile, the Southern city of Kherson has been occupied by Russian forces. Atleast 8 people were killed in a Russian attack on a shopping center in Kyiv’s Podilskyi district, according to information from the Ukrainian Prosecutor General.
The President of United States (U.S.) – Joe Biden will travel to Poland to meet the President of Poland – Andrzej Duda to discuss the international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has sparked a humanitarian and human rights crisis. More than 2 million people have entered Poland from Ukraine since the start of war. Biden’s Poland trip will come a day after he meets G7 leaders, the European Union (E.U.) leaders and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies in Brussels.
