Shortly before an expected Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a dramatic appeal to the citizens of the neighboring country in Kiev.
"This step can be the beginning of a major war on the European continent," he warned in a video message published on Thursday night.
“Do the Russians want war?
The answer depends only on you, the citizens of the Russian Federation!” said the 44-year-old in Russian.
He also tried to call Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin: "The result: silence."
Along the more than 2,000-kilometer border, almost 200,000 Russian soldiers with heavy equipment are ready to invade, Zelenskyy said.
He is ready to negotiate with Russia in any format and anywhere, to discuss security issues and guarantee peace.
“Ukraine's security is linked to the security of its neighbors.
That's why today we have to talk about security throughout Europe.” His goal is peace in Ukraine and the security of the citizens.
"We are ready to talk to everyone, including you."
"What should I bomb?"
He also once again rejected Moscow's accusations that Kiev was preparing an attack on the separatist areas in eastern Ukraine.
"What should I bomb?
Donetsk, where I've been dozens of times?” Zelenskyy asked.
The real Ukraine is completely different from the country portrayed in the Russian news.
The Ukrainians would not give up their country without a fight: "If you attack, you will see our faces, not our backs!"
Government troops have been fighting Moscow-backed rebels in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk since 2014.
After the Kremlin recognized the "People's Republics" as a state, they asked for military aid from Russia.
An invasion of Russian troops is considered very likely.
According to UN estimates, more than 14,000 people have been killed in the conflict.