- Clive Myrie and Joel Gunter
- BBC News in Kyiv
April 14, 2022
caption,Volodymyr Zelensky told the BBC the fight to survive was more important than “business and money”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused European countries that continue to buy Russian oil of “making money off other people’s blood”.
In an interview with the BBC, President Zelensky singled out Germany and Hungary, accusing the countries of blocking efforts to block sales of energy resources, which Russia is expected to earn up to $326 billion from this year.
Ukraine’s political leaders are frustrated with the Berlin government, which has backed some sanctions against Russia but has so far resisted calls to support a tougher crackdown on Russian oil and gas sales.
“Some of our friends and partners understand that now is a different time, that it is no longer about business and money,” Zelenskyi told the BBC on Thursday directly from his office in Kyiv. “It’s a matter of survival.”
The president also reiterated calls for more arms supplies to Ukraine, saying the country is not getting supplies fast enough to repel the Russian attack.
“The US, Britain and some European countries are trying to help and help,” he said. “But we need that (weapons and supplies) sooner and sooner and faster. The keyword is ‘now’.”
Credit, Reuters
caption,
President Zelenskyy said that 95% of buildings in Mariupol, one of Ukraine’s largest cities, were destroyed.
difficult dialogue
In recent weeks, Russian troops have withdrawn from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and elsewhere in central and northern Ukraine, apparently abandoning attempts to take all of Ukraine by force.
But now there are fears of bloody and protracted conflicts in the east and south of the country as Russian President Vladimir Putin refocuses his military campaign to gain more territory.
The southern port city of Mariupol, a strategic target of Putin, has been plagued by Russian artillery shelling for several weeks.
President Zelenskyy told the BBC he believed tens of thousands had been killed in the city.
“We also have information that in addition to these tens of thousands of dead, there are many more missing,” he said. “We know that people’s documents were replaced, they got Russian passports and were taken to Russia some to camps, some to other cities. Nobody knows what happens to these people. Nobody knows how many were killed.”
Zelensky said atrocities apparently committed by Russian troops in Mariupol and the Kiev suburbs of Bucha and Borodyanka further reduced the possibility of peace talks with the Russians.
Credit, Getty Images
caption,
President Zelensky (centre, seen without helmet) visited the city of Bucha earlier this month
Hundreds of bodies have been found in Bucha since the city was retaken by Ukrainian forces just over a week ago, including civilians who were found with gunshots to the head and their hands tied behind their backs. There are also many reports of sexual violence.
“Bucha can close [as possibilidades de negociações de paz]”, said President Zelenskyy. “It’s not about me, it’s about Russia. They won’t have much more opportunity to speak to us.”
He said he “felt the full spectrum of emotions” when he visited Bucha last week but ended the day with “nothing but hatred towards the Russian military”. He accused President Putin and the rest of the Russian army “from top to bottom” of being “war criminals.”
Zelenskyi defended his leadership ahead of the Russian invasion that began in February, when his government urged the Ukrainian people to remain calm.
He said the government is working to secure deals for arms and supplies and is focused on avoiding a panic that could trigger a bank run, which he says could destabilize Ukraine’s economy.
“Russia and not only Russia wanted that, but we didn’t allow it,” he said. “But we didn’t expect a fullscale invasion like this to happen.”
Ukraine faces a fresh attack in the east and south as Russia seeks to carve up more territories after annexing Crimea in 2014.
President Zelenskyy said that the east is currently the “most difficult situation” for the Ukrainian armed forces, “but our strongest units are concentrated there”.
“They can destroy us, but we will answer; they can kill, but they will also die,” he said. “I can’t understand why, I can’t understand why they came (to Ukraine).”
Have you already watched our new videos? youtube? Subscribe to our channel!