President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine turned down a request from the United States government to evacuate him from Kyiv.
“The struggle has begun; I require ammunition, rather than a ride,” Zelensky stated, according to a senior American intelligence operative who was present during the call, as reported by the Associated Press.
While Zelensky opted to remain in Ukraine’s capital, as Russian forces moved the war into the city streets, gunshots and explosions could be heard throughout the night on Friday and Saturday.
The president, who is under siege, announced his family had been relocated to safety.
🇺🇦President Zelensky has turned down an offer from the US to help him evacuate, according to reports in the States.
"I need ammunition, not a ride"
— James Waterhouse (@JamWaterhouse) February 26, 2022
More Details on the Story
During a video speech delivered early on Friday, Zelensky explained he was residing in the government quarters with other officials. “I have been selected as target number one by the adversary, and my family has been assigned as target number two.”
On Friday night, Zelensky addressed his compatriots once more, asking them to brace themselves for a nocturnal onslaught and imploring them to stand together in unity and strength.
As Zelensky asserted in the video, the future of Ukraine is currently being determined.
“This evening will be extremely trying, and the adversary will utilize all of its available resources to break the Ukrainians’ desire to survive. We can’t afford to lose the funds,” he stated forcefully later.
JUST IN 🚨 President Zelensky rejects US offer to evacuate him amid Russia-Ukraine war pic.twitter.com/yqvjlhqdYt
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) February 26, 2022
Officials from the United States Department of Defense say Zelensky, a former actor and comedian, led a significant defense against the Russian incursion so far, slowing down the Russian advance.
The public is concerned this could alter soon. Russian troops launched an attack on Kyiv from multiple areas, encircling the city of approximately 2.8 million people.
Kyiv Has Not Fallen
As Russian soldiers attempted to make their way into Kyiv’s city center, the Ukrainian Armed Forces declared “active combat” was taking place in the capital.
Ukrainian fighters were met with stiff opposition, according to the Ukrainian military.
Hundreds of injuries have been recorded as a result of severe fighting both within and surrounding the city. However, according to officials, the Ukrainian forces looked to have retained control of the region as of early Saturday.
According to the Kyiv Independent, Security Council Secretary Danilov stated on Saturday morning, “we are doing everything we can” to halt the horde and “the situation in Kyiv is under authority of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and our civilians.”
As part of his commitment to defending his country, Zelensky also released a video speech from Kyiv on Saturday, which may be seen here.
“Per a translation provided by the Kyiv Independent, there is a lot of false information on the internet that I have called for our troops to lay down their arms and said there is an evacuation. I’m right here. We are not going to lay down our guns. We will stand up for our country.”
