Zelensky, Ukrainian, invites Russian Vladimir Putin to meet

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Zelensky extended the invitation Tuesday night during a public conference, urging Putin to restore the ceasefire in the region where he said “millions of lives” are at stake.

“A proposal was made to meet at the contact line to see and understand the situation as accurately as possible. What should I understand? I go there every month. Mr. Putin!” Zelensky said.

“I am willing to go even further and invite you to gather anywhere in the Ukrainian Donbass, where there is a war,” he said.

The build-up of Russian troops along the border has rekindled tensions in eastern Ukraine, where government forces have been locked in a tense clash with Russian-backed separatists demanding independence from Kiev since 2014.

The United States has estimated that the Russian military has moved more than 40 battalion tactical groups to the Russian-Ukrainian border, which could add up to 40,000 troops. It would be the largest accumulation of Russian troops near Ukraine since 2014, when Russian forces invaded the country and occupied the Crimean peninsula.

Earlier Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said more than 20 ships had also taken part in exercises in the Black Sea, which borders the two countries. “A unit of ships consisting of frigates” Admiral Makarov “and” Admiral Essen “, small missile ships” Grayvoron “and” Vyshny Volochek “, as well as missile ships, small anti-submarine ships and large amphibious ships performed an exercise to repel airstrikes of a simulated enemy using active electronic blocking and conditional use of air defense means, ”a ministry statement said.

In his speech, Zelensky called on Ukrainian citizens to unite in the face of the Russian military threat. “Ukraine and Russia, despite their common past, look to the future differently. It’s us. It’s you. But that’s not necessarily a problem, it’s an opportunity. At least an opportunity before it’s too late, for stop the deadly math of future military losses “.

He blamed Russia for refusing to support a “general statement” to restore the full ceasefire in the area, despite “the support of all parties.”

The United States and other NATO members pledge to support Ukraine as they march with Russia

Last week, the Ukrainian president met in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who joined via a video link, to discuss the deteriorating security situation. in eastern Ukraine and the occupation of Ukrainian territories. The three leaders ended the meeting by calling on Russia to withdraw additional troops accumulated on the Ukrainian border.

The NATO alliance has also expressed deep concern over Russian military buildup near Ukraine, described by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg last week as “part of a broader pattern of Russian aggressive action ”. The Allies fully support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and Russia in order to immediately de-escalate, stop their pattern of aggressive provocations and respect their international commitments, ”he said at the time.

Reports provided by Anna Chernova and Zahra Ullah of CNN in Moscow.

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