Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky lamented, in a televised speech on Thursday night (24), what he called Western leaders’ abandonment of the Russian invasion, which has already left 137 dead in the first 24 hours, according to the government count in Kiev.
“They left us alone to defend our state,” he said. “Who is willing to fight with us? I don’t see anyone. Who is willing to give Ukraine a guarantee of NATO membership? Everyone is afraid,” he lamented.
In addition to the 137 Ukrainian victims, defined by the president as heroes, the Russian offensive still left 316 wounded on the first day of clashes, the government says.
Kiev has decreed a state of “general mobilization”, which puts military recruits and reservists in place to defend the country. The Ukrainian president asked citizens to join the territorial defense units. “Those who have combat experience and are able to join the defense of Ukraine should report to the interior ministry’s recruitment centers,” he said.
The country was already in a state of emergency since Tuesday (23), which opens the possibility for the government to impose restrictions on travel, on the distribution of information and on what is reported in the media, in addition to introducing citizen documents verification.
In his Thursday speech, Zelensky said he and his family would not leave Ukraine, even though he said Moscow had identified them as “target number one”. An estimated 100,000 people left the country when explosions and gunfire hit major cities. “The enemy has marked me as the number one target,” the president said. “My family is target number two. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state.”
The president also urged Ukrainian citizens to remain vigilant and respect the imposed curfew. “We have received information that enemy sabotage groups have entered Kiev,” he said.
In the morning, Zelensky had reacted to accusations that his government was colluding with neo-Nazi groups and returned the comparison to Russia, accusing Moscow of acting like Germany in World War II. “Russia attacked Ukraine in a cowardly and suicidal way, as Nazi Germany did during World War II,” the Ukrainian president declared in a speech broadcast on Facebook.
In Putin’s declaration of war speech, in which he announced military action in pro-Russian Ukrainian provinces, the Russian president said he would “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine. Russia has accused Kiev of links to neo-Nazi groups – elements of the Armed Forces, such as the Battalion of Azov, are accused of using symbols such as the swastika and Nazi salutes. The Germans fought the Soviets for control of Ukraine in World War II.
Zelensky, however, is Jewish and often remembers this when commenting on the Russian accusations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said he suggested overthrowing the government to fulfill the goal of “denazifying” the country. “Ideally, you liberate Ukraine and you get rid of the Nazis. The future belongs to the Ukrainian people,” he said.
On Thursday, the Ukrainian president also urged Russian citizens to take to the streets to “protest against the war” – protests in Russian cities were suppressed and hundreds of people were arrested.
