Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that he remains in the current capital, Kiev, through a video posted on social media in the morning of the 26th local time.
As the Russian invasion entered the third day, unconfirmed rumors circulated on social media that President Zelensky had abandoned Kiev and fled, or that he had already surrendered.
He dismissed these rumors with a 'certified video' of the presidential residence in central Kiev as the background.
According to Reuters and AFP, in the video, he said, "We will not lay down our weapons, and it is a lie to say that the Ukrainian army has laid down its weapons."
He said, "There is a huge amount of fake news on the Internet saying that you have abandoned your weapon overnight, called (to surrender) or that there was an escape." "I am here. This is the current situation."
He also said, "Our weapons are our reality. We will not lay down our weapons, we will defend our country. Our truth is that this is our land, our country, and our children, so we will protect all these." will," he emphasized.
He continued, "This is what I want to say. Glory to Ukraine…"
President Zelensky also tweeted: "I started a new day of diplomatic work with a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron."
Weapons and equipment from our partners are heading to Ukraine.
The anti-war coalition is in operation," he wrote.
In another post, he said, "This is an important moment in deciding Ukraine's accession to the EU after a long discussion," he said. and wrote.
The Washington Post reported earlier that the U.S. had advised President Zelensky to flee, saying he was threatened with arrest or death by Russian forces, but President Zelensky said he would "remain in Kiev to defend independence and the country." .
(Photo = Yonhap News)