Zelensky on assassination plot against him, Ukraine's neutral status

PanARMENIAN.Net - Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that “enemy saboteur groups” have entered Kyiv and Russia is planning to assassinate him as Vladimir Putin’s invading forces intensified their attack on Ukraine’s capital and other cities on Friday, February 25, Financial times Reports.

Residents of central Kyiv woke to loud explosions shortly after 4am, a day after Moscow’s forces invaded Ukraine from various sides, launching one of Europe’s largest military offensives since the second world war.

Ukraine’s military general staff said that its air defence systems had intercepted two Russian projectiles fired at the capital.

“According to our information, the enemy has identified me as the number-one target,” Zelensky said in an early-morning video address in which he wore a military-style green T-shirt and sweater. “My family is the number-two target. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state.”

The Ukrainian president added that he was staying in the government quarter “with everyone who is needed for the work of the central government”.

Shortly after 7am, air raid sirens sounded in central Kyiv. The city’s municipal administration warned people to head for shelters and said that subway stations were open at any time of day for people seeking cover.

Zelensky said that 137 of his countrymen, who he described as “Ukrainian heroes”, had died.

Russia provided no figures on damage to its military assets or on casualties it had suffered or inflicted.

Zelensky also said in the video address that he was not afraid to discuss with Russia the issue of Ukraine’s neutral status, TASS reports.

"We heard from Moscow today that they want to talk about the neutral status of Ukraine," Zelensky said in the video, posted on his Telegram channel. "We are not afraid of Russia, we are not afraid of engaging in talks with Russia, we are not afraid of discussing anything, such as security guarantees for our state, we are not afraid of talking about neutral status."

He admitted that NATO was not ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine and to grant membership.

"I was saying to all partners of our country: ‘The moment is crucial, the fate of our country is now at stake.’ I asked them: ‘Are you with us?’ They replied that yes, they are with us, but are not ready to make us members of the alliance. I asked 27 European leaders today whether Ukraine will become a NATO member. They gave no answer," Zelensky said.

The Russian authorities are ready to talk with the Ukrainian leadership, if it is willing to discuss Russia-formulated issues, including Ukraine’s neutral status, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. When asked to specify whether Russia was now ready to talk with the Ukrainian leadership on this topic, Peskov emphasized: "If the Ukrainian leadership is ready to talk on that."