KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that his country was a “shield” against Russia and deserved more support in the face of a feared Russian invasion, as Moscow test-fired nuclear-capable missiles in a defiant show of force.
In a speech at the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky condemned “a policy of appeasement” towards Moscow.
“For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield. For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world’’, said Zelensky, who travelled to Munich despite shelling in his country’s conflict-torn east that left two Ukrainian soldiers dead. He demanded “clear, feasible timeframes” for Ukraine to join the US-led Nato military alliance — a prospect that Moscow has said would be a red line for its security. But he said he was
willing to meet Vladimir Putin, to find out “what the Russian president wants”.
Western officials in Munich continued to raise the alarm about Moscow’s intentions towards Ukraine, after US President Joe Biden said on Friday that he was “convinced” Putin planned to invade, including with an attack on the capital Kyiv, within days. See also P6
