Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is preparing to welcome U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin to Kyiv on Sunday.
This visit from Washington comes as Russia continued to bomb Ukrainian cities on Saturday.
Amid the onslaught, Zelenskiy said he planned to discuss with Blinken and Austin the weapons Ukraine needs and how quickly they can be supplied.
While speaking to the press in a Kyiv metro station, Zelenskiy added that he hoped that U.S President Joe Biden would also come to Kyiv “as soon as the security situation permits.”
Russia appears to be concentrating its attacks on the east and south of Ukraine, with Russia’s top brass determined to create a land bridge between Russia proper and the occupied Crimean Peninsula.
Many people were killed and injured in the Odesa attack, according to Ukrainian sources.
“Eight people died and 18 or 20 were wounded, a 3-month-old baby was killed,” Zelensky said.
“If our people are annihilated in Mariupol, if a pseudo-referendum on independence takes place in Kherson, then Ukraine will step out of all negotiation processes.
“Ukraine is not capable of a military de-blockade of Mariupol at the moment. And the Ukrainian soldiers who are there understand that,” he said.
Although the U.S. visit remains unconfirmed by Washington, Zelenskiy said he hoped that the U.S. would support weapons deliveries from Germany so that Berlin starts “supplying what they have and what they are not using right now.”
Visitors are currently very welcome, but not just to take “selfies,” Zelenskiy said.
“You cannot come to us empty-handed today. We don’t expect just gifts or any cupcakes. We expect concrete things and concrete weapons,” he added.
Zelenskiy has repeatedly called for heavy weapons, a point of contention with Germany while many other countries have promised supplies.
dpa/NAN
