Volodymyr Zelenskyy: We are attacking neither Putin nor Moscow - we are defending our villages and cities
Ukraine does not attack Russia or its President, but defends its independence and territorial integrity. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conversation with media representatives following the Nordic-Ukrainian Summit in Helsinki.
Answering a journalist's question about the recent UAV flight over the Kremlin in Moscow, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: "We are attacking neither Putin nor Moscow. We are fighting on our own territory, defending our villages and cities."
The Head of State added that Ukraine is experiencing a shortage of weapons to ensure its defense, so the Ukrainian army does not use them anywhere else but on the battlefield.
"We cannot use anything anywhere. That is why we did not attack Putin. We will leave it to the tribunal," he stated.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his belief that the Russian leader accuses Ukraine of this alleged attack and attempted assassination because Russia has no victories on the battlefield in the war it has unleashed in Ukraine. Thus, the Russian leader uses such statements to justify his continued aggression.
"He can no longer motivate his society and just send the military to their deaths. He can no longer motivate his state. He has no victories on the battlefield. The second army of the world has lost. They are unable to occupy Ukraine. They were repulsed by us. Now he needs to somehow motivate these people to move forward," the Head of State said.
"They have lost this war - they have lost as a state, they have lost historically... This is what is happening. And now he needs to do something drastic - assassination attempts, drones, some geese that bombed them... That is, they will come up with some steps every day," Volodymyr Zelenskyy added.
At the same time, the President noted that instead of making up new provocations, the Russian authorities could simply withdraw their troops from Ukrainian territory and thus overcome the difficult situation.
"You don't have to intimidate anyone, you don't have to use weapons - you have to leave our territory. Absolutely everyone, even non-NATO countries or countries outside the European Union on different continents, recognizes the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Therefore, leaving our territory would be a solution. It is much easier than using various information or any other manipulations," the Head of State emphasized.
Asked whether Russia's statements about the alleged attack by Ukrainian drones could affect the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which expires in May, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he does not see Russia's interest in extending it, however other parties should be interested.
"We are not looking for Russia's interest, we are looking for the fulfillment of the agreement with our partners. Regarding the grain initiative, we have a clear agreement with António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, and with President of Türkiye Erdogan. Our agreements continue. We are planning to continue our initiative. They, for their part, have a conversation with the Russian side, and they have to agree with them on the continuation of this corridor, which is so needed by other countries of the world. Just as by many of us," the President of Ukraine summarized.