‘Everyone is afraid, no one answers’: Ukraine President on NATO membership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hit out at European leaders over their silence on Ukraine's NATO membership in the wake of Russian aggression. During a late-night address to the nation, Zelenskiy said that he talked to 27 European leaders asking about the prospects of Ukraine's membership of the intergovernmental military alliance but no one answered in affirmative.

‘I have asked 27 European leaders whether Ukraine will be in NATO... Everyone is afraid, no one answers,’ Zelenskiy said.

Zelenskiy hailed Ukrainians for their 'heroism' in face of Russian military advance as he tried to assure the citizens that Ukraine forces are "doing everything possible". Urging residents to be vigilant and observe curfew rules, he cautioned that the Russian “sabotage groups” have entered Kyiv.

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Amid global diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine, Zelensky asserted that Russia will have to talk "sooner or later". He also urged Russians to protest against the Ukraine war and vowed to stay in the Ukrainian capital as air raid sirens continue to wail over Kyiv.

"(The) enemy has marked me down as the number one target," Zelenskiy said. "My family is the number two target. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state."

"I will stay in the capital. My family is also in Ukraine."

Meanwhile, the US-led West has prepared a draft resolution that calls for an immediate cessation of Russia’s use of force against Ukraine and unconditional withdrawal of all its military forces from its territory. 

Condemning Russia’s decision to recognise breakaway parts of eastern Ukraine as independent territories, the resolution calls it a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and “inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.” 

“Allow and facilitate the rapid, safe, and unhindered access of humanitarian assistance to those in need in Ukraine, to protect civilians, including humanitarian personnel and persons in vulnerable situations, including children,” the draft resolution adds.