Direct talks with Russian President; Vladimir Putin is the ‘only way’ to end the Russia-Ukraine war, says Zelensky.
“Sit down with me to negotiate, just not at 30 meters,” Zelenskyy told Putin during a press conference, adding, “I don’t bite. What are you afraid of?”
Zelenskyy also spoke about the West’s reluctance to set up a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
“If you do not have the power to close the skies, then give me planes!” Zelensky said. “If we are no more then, God forbid, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia will be next. Believe me.”
Meanwhile, the US announced new sanctions targeted at Nineteen Russian oligarchs along with their family members and associates.
Today, the United States, in coordination with Allies and partners, targeted additional Russian elites and family members who continue supporting President Putin despite his brutal invasion of Ukraine.
— The White House 46 Archived (@WhiteHouse46) March 3, 2022
Alisher Burhanovich Usmanov, an Uzbek-born oligarch who made most of his wealth in mining and metal operations following the fall of the Soviet Union, is one of the sanctioned individuals. Former Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov was also hit with sanctions.
The US claims these pro-Putin oligarchs have “enriched themselves at the expense of Russian people.”
“Other sit atop Russia’s largest companies and are responsible for providing the resources necessary to support Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,” the White House said.
“These individuals and their family members will be cut off from the US financial system; their assets in the United States will be frozen and their property will be blocked from use,” the statement added.
The UK also imposed new sanctions on Usmanov and Shuvalov.
Russian forces said they now control the port city of Kherson. With a population of 280,000 residents, Kherson is the first major Ukrainian city to fall to Russian troops since the beginning of the invasion.
President Zelenskyy said if Ukraine falls to Russian forces, the Baltic States could be next. He also said that “direct talks” with Russian President Vladimir Putin are the “only way” to end the war.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has already claimed the lives of 227 civilians, while displacing over 1 million, including Ukrainians. Russia, on the other hand, has admitted that its military offensive has resulted in the death of nearly 500 troops.
