Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Year : 2, Issue: 18
Reuters: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said late on Tuesday that no one would give peace to his country as a gift, but he believed the United States would stand alongside Kyiv as it fights to stop Russia’s 34-month invasion.
Zelensky, in a slick 21-minute New Year video greeting to his compatriots, also said only a strong Ukraine could secure peace and earn worldwide respect.
He recalled conversations with outgoing US President Joe Biden, President-elect Donald Trump and “everyone who supports us in the United States”.
“I have no doubt that the new American president wants and will be able to bring peace and end (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s aggression,” Zelensky said.
Russia, Zelensky said, was not to be trusted either in battle or in talks.
“If today Russia shakes your hand, it doesn’t mean that tomorrow the same hand will not start killing you,” he said. “Russians fear those who are free. What they don’t understand. They fear freedom.”
