Ukraine war: Zelenskyy ‘not interested’ in meeting ‘nobody’ Putin for peace talks
The Ukrainian president has told Sky News he is “not interested” in meeting Vladimir Putin for peace talks, describing him as a “nobody” who lives in an “information bubble” and does not really know what’s happening on the battlefield.
In an exclusive interview with Kay Burley, Volodymyr Zelenskyy also responded to speculation of a Russian offensive in Ukraine in the coming weeks, and recalled how he felt when he realised the invasion was beginning last year.
He said he “doesn’t understand who makes decisions in Russia” and while Moscow asks for peace, it then lies by attacking his country with missiles at night.
‘Chilling’ signs Putin has become ‘reckless and emotional’ – Ukraine latest
“They don’t want any talks, and this was the case before the invasion. President Putin decided so,” said Mr Zelenskyy.
“He doesn’t want negotiations because he doesn’t want peace.
“I am convinced that Ukraine is just the first step for him. I am convinced that he is waging a big war. And having the whole world helping Ukraine now – he is not thinking about that. He is thinking, ‘Well, it’s not working out in Ukraine now but we will wait… the world won’t stay united, they will get tired and I will move further’.
“But after Ukraine there will be further steps, there will be other countries, if we fail to withstand. I think we will manage, we will get support and we will win.”
Assassination attempts
Recalling the night of the Russian invasion almost a year ago, he described it as the start of a long, difficult day that has not yet come to a close.
“I remember there were explosions and calls in the night and I said [to my wife], ‘Get ready. You should get our children ready and tell them what’s going on and be prepared because it won’t be safe to stay in the president’s residence [where we had been living at the time]’.”
Asked how close the invading Russian forces got to him, the president said “nobody knows”.
“There were some people who were being detained in this district, this government district, and this is just a few kilometres from here,” he said.
“There was a lot of intelligence… And a lot of this intelligence suggested that I should move fast and I should go somewhere… Don’t believe it when they say that there have been dozens of attempts, and so on. I don’t know, maybe secret services know about that more.”
Putin ‘says one thing and does another’
When asked if a face-to-face meeting with Mr Putin would help to resolve the ongoing conflict, Mr Zelenskyy said: “It is not interesting for me. Not interesting to meet, not interesting to speak. Why? Because we had meeting with him in Normandy Format, it was before full-scale invasion. I saw the man who said one thing and then did another.
“I can’t understand – is it his decisions or somebody else? So to meet what, to shake hands? Not interesting. To speak? I really don’t understand who makes decisions in Russia.
“Who is he now? After full-scale invasion, for me he is nobody, nobody.”
A war-torn family
Mr Zelenskyy not only spoke of the toll of the war on his people, but also his family – and notably his 10-year-old son.
He revealed he rarely sees his wife and children, but when he does, they share a meal together and talk about the war.
“It’s a pity that I can’t see my children, once per… now it’s often than from the very beginning. Last two, three months we have once per 10 days I can see my children, one, two weeks, I see, have some food, have some talks and I can see my daughter because she’s a student from this year and that’s why I often see her than my son.
“He’s 10 years but he’s thinking like… it’s tragedy… it’s tragedy for all our families through Ukraine. All our children are adults. All of them. They speak about war, they speak about when we will win. They know it exactly. They know better than me I think.
“It’s tragedy they speak about it, not about children, not about their games between each other, not about soccer, no dialogues about soccer. That is the difference but we will change this situation I think soon.”
‘I’m proud of my people’
Asked about the number of Russian boys being sent to their deaths, Mr Zelenskyy said: “As a father I don’t understand how you can let your child go, realising that they are going to die whilst trying to take something that doesn’t belong to them.
“In other words, by letting your child go, you’re already making them a criminal. And this is a crime. This is murder. This is not self defence. This is murder, a deliberate murder. And they will have to be accountable for this. If they become war prisoners, they will have to accept responsibility for their actions, or, in any case, they will face judgment in front of God.
“But they are left behind, having died young, on our land because of the ambitions of President Putin, just one person.”
A comedian and actor before moving into politics, Mr Zelenskyy said of his own wellbeing: “I’m well, I’m strong, as are our people. Sometimes, a little bit sad when we have some attacks, and each day proud of our soldiers and our army… And of course first of all I’m proud of our people.
“I didn’t imagine before this war, before this job that I will have to do it so that’s fine for me. I’m okay, really okay.”
Read more on Ukraine:
What are F-16 fighter jets and could they be sent to Ukraine?
Wagner Group boss laughs off claims of assassination plot
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Moment Zelenskyy learns tank news
‘Russians don’t count their war dead’
The city of Bakhmut, where Russia’s Wagner mercenaries and Ukrainian forces have been locked in battle, has witnessed months of fierce fighting.
As speculation of a Russian surge in southern and eastern Ukraine grows, Mr Zelenskyy said it is crucial for Ukrainian forces to be prepared for a possible wave of attacks.
He said: “It all depends on our defensive strength. It all depends on how much we can hold them back.
“In the east they are moving forward and losing a lot of people. It’s just an extraordinary number. They don’t care about it. I mean, they don’t count their people. This is a fact.
“We are counting their people. But we don’t have exact numbers. There are much more casualties from their side. But from what we have already seen and counted, there are thousands of people dead from their side, and they are just throwing them, and throwing them, and throwing them and throwing them.”
‘Thankful for tanks’
During the interview – filmed on Mr Zelenskyy’s 45th birthday – the Ukrainian president learnt that Germany had decided to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Kyiv after weeks of indecision.
He told Sky News that he was “very thankful” for the tanks but warned that the number and timing of their delivery was “critical”.
Washington also announced yesterday that it would send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, with US President Joe Biden saying armoured capability has been “critical for Ukraine” and the US “will train Ukrainian troops as soon as possible”.
The UK became the first Western nation to promise main battle tanks when Rishi Sunak pledged 14 Challenger 2s this month.
The series of announcements of the modern battle tanks for Ukraine marks a significant blow to Mr Putin’s forces.
Mr Zelenskyy added: “For me, people are the number one priority. That’s why I don’t want to fight on Russian territory. I just want them to stop the war as quickly as possible, and leave our country as fast as possible.
“I can tell you for sure if they leave our territory the war will stop.”
World
Israel says it will screen October 7 attacks to Greta Thunberg and other activists after Gaza-bound aid boat ‘diverted’
The Israeli military will show Greta Thunberg and other activists footage of the 7 October attacks after a Gaza-bound aid boat was diverted to Israel, the country’s foreign minister has said.
Early on Monday, the Israeli foreign ministry said that the British-flagged yacht Madleen – operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) – “is safely making its way to the shores of Israel”.
All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry added, sharing footage of the activists being handed sandwiches and water.
In a statement via his spokesperson, defence minister Israel Katz said that he has instructed the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to screen footage of the 7 October attacks for those aboard when they arrive at Ashdod Port.
Greta Thunberg was ‘safe and in good spirits’ while en route to Israel, the foreign ministry said. Pic: Israel Foreign Ministry
“Antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-supporting friends should see exactly what the Hamas terrorist organisation – which they came to support and act on behalf of – truly is,” he said.
“They should see the atrocities committed against women, the elderly, and children, and understand whom Israel is fighting to defend itself.”
He then added, “I commend the IDF for its swift and safe takeover” of the vessel, and said the Israeli military “will continue its just and moral fight against the Hamas murderers until their defeat, the release of all hostages, and the full restoration of Israel’s security”.
Ms Thunberg and other activists after their boat was diverted to Israel. Pic: Israel Foreign Ministry
Israel’s foreign ministry said earlier that those aboard the Madleen “are expected to return to their home countries,” and that the humanitarian aid aboard the ship would be transferred to Gaza through established channels.
Ms Thunberg was “safe and in good spirits” while en route to Israel, it added, calling the vessel “the ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities'”.
The FFC claimed the passengers on the yacht had been “kidnapped by Israeli forces” and released pre-recorded messages from them after previously saying that the “Israeli army had boarded” the vessel.
Climate campaigner Ms Thunberg, 22, was one of a dozen activists aboard the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily on 1 May on a mission aiming to break Israel’s sea blockade.
Ms Thunberg pictured in a pre-recorded video, released after the Madleen was diverted to Israel. Pic: FFC
The climate campaigner aboard the Madleen on 2 June. Pic: Freedom Flotilla Coalition/Reuters
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, who is of Palestinian descent, was also on the boat.
She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israel’s policies towards Palestinians.
Ms Hassan wrote on X as the FFC’s yacht was allegedly surrounded by other vessels: “The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2am.”
The diversion of the Madleen came after Mr Katz said that he had instructed the IDF to prevent the vessel from reaching the shore and to “take whatever measures necessary”.
The Madleen was heading for Gaza
Addressing Ms Thunberg and the other activists on Sunday, he said: “You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza.”
Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month after a three-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas and preventing the group from importing arms.
But humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless there is an end to the blockade and the 20-month war, which began after a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, that killed more than 1,200 people.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Why is Greta sailing to Gaza?
An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group’s vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta.
The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship.
Read more from Sky News:
Gazans pray in rubble at start of Eid
Russian troops ‘reach new Ukrainian region’
Soldier arrested on suspicion of raping woman
Francesca Albanese, United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, also urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade.
She said on social media: “Madleen’s journey may have ended, but the mission isn’t over.
“Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza.”
World
Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay in ‘critical condition’ after attempted assassination – as 15-year-old suspect arrested
A 15 year-old-boy has been arrested after a Colombian senator running to be the country’s next president was shot and “critically” injured at a campaign rally in Bogota, authorities have said.
Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, 39, was targeted during the campaign event in a park in the Fontibon area of the Colombian capital, according to the Attorney General’s office.
He suffered two gunshot wounds when armed assailants shot him from behind and appeared to be bleeding from his head as he was helped by aides and people in the crowd, in a video posted on social media.
According to a medical report at the Santa Fe Foundation hospital, he was admitted there in a “critical condition” and is still undergoing a “neurosurgical and peripheral vascular procedure”.
Opposition senator Miguel Uribe Turbay on 13 May. Pic: AP
His wife Maria Claudia Tarazone wrote on X that he is “fighting for his life” and urged Colombians to pray for him.
She later said he survived an initial operation for the injuries.
Ms Tarazone said: “Miguel came out of surgery, he made it. Every hour is a critical hour. He fought his first battle, and it went well. This will take time.”
The hospital said Mr Uribe Turbay had procedures on his head and his left thigh, and remained in intensive care as doctors try to stabilise his condition.
Two other people were injured in the attack but the nature of their injuries has not been made public.
A suspect, a 15-year-old boy, was arrested at the scene with a firearm and is being treated for a leg injury, police chief General Carlos Triana said.
The government is offering a $730,000 (£540,000) reward for information and President Gustavo Petro said the investigation will focus on who ordered the attack.
“For now there is nothing more than hypothesis,” he said, adding that failures in security protocols would also be looked into.
People gather outside the hospital where Mr Uribe Turbay is ‘fighting for his life’. Pic: Reuters
Mr Uribe Turbay, who announced his presidential bid for the right-wing Democratic Center Party in March, was accompanied by a team of 21 people at the time of the shooting, his office said, including councilman Andres Barrios.
He was hoping to run in the presidential elections taking place on 31 May next year – and succeed Mr Petro, the country’s first leftist leader.
His mother, who was a journalist, was kidnapped and killed in 1991 during one of the most violent periods in Colombia’s history.
Forensic investigators at the scene of Mr Uribe Turbay’s shooting in Bogota. Pic: AP
Read more from Sky News
Gazans pray in rubble at start of Eid
Thai hostage’s body retrieved by Israel
Investigators end search for missing toddler
His party described it as an “unacceptable act of violence”, while US secretary of state Marco Rubio condemned it in the “strongest possible terms”.
Writing on X, Mr Rubio also urged Colombia’s current president to “dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials”.
Police outside the hospital where Mr Uribe Turbay is being treated. Pic: AP
Former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe, who is not related to Mr Uribe Turbay, said the gunman had “attacked the hope of the country, a great husband, son, brother, and a great colleague”.
He cancelled a planned trip to France due to the “seriousness of the events”, his office said in a statement.
Messages of support poured in from elsewhere in Latin America, with Chilean President Gabriel Boric saying: “There is no room or justification for violence in a democracy.”
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa added: “We condemn all forms of violence and intolerance.”
Israel’s defence minister has threatened to “take whatever measures necessary” to stop an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg from reaching Gaza.
The climate campaigner, 22, is one of a dozen activists aboard the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily last Sunday on a mission aiming to break Israel‘s sea blockade.
The activists have said they plan to reach Gaza‘s territorial waters as early as Sunday to deliver humanitarian aid.
But in a post on X, Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said he has instructed the IDF to prevent the vessel reaching shore and to “take whatever measures necessary”.
Addressing Thunberg and the other activists, he said: “You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza.”
He wrote: “I have instructed the IDF to act so that the “Madeleine” hate flotilla does not reach the shores of Gaza – and to take any means necessary to that end.
“To the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back – because you will not reach Gaza.
“Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations – at sea, in the air and on land.”
Latest known position of the vessel
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Why is Greta sailing to Gaza?
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament, who is of Palestinian descent, is also on the boat, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israel’s policies towards Palestinians.
Read more from Sky News:
British surgeon on IDF in Gaza
Trump deploys National Guard to LA immigration ‘riots’
Russia claims troops reach new Ukrainian region
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month after a three-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas and preventing the group from importing arms.
But humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless there is an end to the blockade and the 20-month war, which was ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 Oct 2023.
An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group’s vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta.
The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway