Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has used a US television interview to issue a warning to the international community that Russia could use nuclear bombs in Ukraine.
“Not only me – all of the world, all of the countries have to be worried,” Zelenskyy told CNN. Zelenskyy was reacting to remarks made earlier by CIA chief Bill Burns, who said that given Russia’s military setbacks in Ukraine, the threat of tactical nuclear weapon use by Russia should not be taken lightly.
In an interview excerpt published on Saturday, Zelenskyy – speaking English – said that human lives were worth nothing to Russia.
Discussing the possible use of chemical weapons in the conflict, Zelenskyy said it was important to be ready rather than afraid. “But that is not a question for Ukraine, not only for Ukraine but for all the world, I think,” he added.
In the UK, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised Zelenskyy the delivery of armed vehicles “in the coming days,” according to Downing Street.
Johnson assured Zelenskyy that Britain would “continue to provide the means for Ukraine to defend itself,” according to a statement issued by his office late on Saturday.
The two leaders also discussed the need for a long-term security solution for Ukraine during their phone call on Saturday, the statement said.
Johnson also assured Zelenskyy he would continue working with Britain’s partners and allies to “ensure Ukraine could defend its sovereignty in the weeks and months to come.”
Russian forces accelerated scattered attacks on Kyiv, western Ukraine and beyond Saturday in an explosive reminder to Ukrainians and their Western supporters that the whole country remains under threat despite Moscow’s pivot toward mounting a new offensive in the east.
Stung by the loss of its Black Sea flagship and indignant over alleged Ukrainian aggression on Russian territory, Russia’s military command had warned of renewed missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital. Officials in Moscow said they were targeting military sites, a claim repeated – and refuted by witnesses – throughout 52 days of war.
Meanwhile, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has travelled to Kyiv in a bid to restart peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which stalled after evidence emerged of Russian atrocities against civilians.
Abramovich met Ukrainian negotiators to discuss ways of reviving the negotiations, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Abramovich, who has long-time ties to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, has been acting as an informal mediator since the war began in late February, when Zelenskyy asked him to get involved.