“It’s very serious … I’m not in a movie,” Zelensky, a former comedy actor, told CNN. “I’m not iconic, I think Ukraine is iconic … Ukraine is the heart of Europe, and now I think Europe sees Ukraine is something special for this world. That’s why [the] world can’t lose this something special.”
In the rare interview with international media on Tuesday, Zelensky said that as long as Moscow’s assault on Ukrainian cities continued, little progress could be made in talks.
“You have to speak first of all. Everybody has to stop fighting and to go [back] to that point from where it began five, six days ago,” Zelensky said. “I think there are principal things you can do … If you do this, and that side does this, it means they are ready for peace. If they (are not) ready, it means you’re just wasting time.”
Asked if he felt Ukraine is wasting time by talking with Russia, he said: “We’ll see.”
Officials from the two countries met for the first time on Monday since Russia’s invasion began last week.
Fresh strikes rocked Kyiv on Tuesday, with Russia ramping up its assault on the capital and other key locations. There are fears that Russia is attempting to knock out the city’s communications infrastructure after hitting an area near Kyiv’s TV tower, taking out broadcasting hardware, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
