In his latest video message on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Ukrainians: “We have withstood and successfully repelled enemy attacks. Fighting continues in different cities and regions of our country.”
Zelensky said the capital Kyiv and key towns around it were still under the control of the army.
We have ruined their plans. they have no advantage over us.”
He said Russia had hit residential areas using rockets, adding: “The destruction by missiles and artillery of residential buildings is the ultimate argument for the world to be by our side in stopping the occupiers’ invasion.”
Zelensky said Ukraine now had “almost full support of the members of the EU to exclude Russia from SWIFT” — the international payments system that has been at the heart of a debate about sanctions against Russia. “I hope that Germany and Hungary will have enough courage to support this decision,” he said.
He also said Ukraine has earned its membership in the European Union. “Now the decisive moment has come to end the many years of discussions” about Ukraine joining the bloc.
He again appealed to Ukrainians to resist the Russian invasion.
Each Ukrainian should keep one thing in mind: if you can stop and destroy the occupiers — do it. Everyone who can come back to Ukraine — come back to defend Ukraine.”
He also appealed to volunteers from abroad. “All the friends who want to join us — please come, we will give you weapons.”
Switching to Russian, Zelensky then spoke again directly to Russians.
He thanked Dmitry Muratov, the head of independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, and others in Russia for their anti-war activism, and said: “Russians are being sent to die in the thousands and to kill.”