Zelenskyy not afraid of assassination attempts during potential meeting with Putin

Denys Karlovskyy — Saturday, 23 April 2022, 20:12

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is not afraid of a possible assassination attempt that could be made against him during a potential personal meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Source: Zelenskyy’s press conference at the Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro station in Kyiv

Quote: "I have been insisting on a meeting with the Russian Federation’s leader since the very beginning because I think that any format of meeting with Russia through intermediaries  or passing different information to the RF leader through friendly countries – I think, [that] will not render the desired result.

I think that this war can be stopped by the one who started it.

Regarding any attempted assassination – I am not too afraid. My guards are very afraid, to be honest. And my family is very afraid. That is to be completely frank.

Any reasonable person always chooses the diplomatic way, because they know that even if it is difficult, it can prevent the loss of thousands, tens of thousands, and with such neighbours, hundreds of thousands and even millions of victims.

I am not afraid of meeting with the president (Putin- ed.), from the point of view of attempted assassinations. I simply have no right to be afraid, because our people have shown that they are not afraid of anything. They are afraid for their children. People were stopping tanks and  other Russian equipment with their bare hands. The same with our Armed Forces of Ukraine, the same with our National Guard.

A normal leader does not have the right to be afraid when we are talking about our country and our independence."

Details: While the president was answering questions from the press, two metro trains with passengers passed through the station without stopping.

The press conference was organised at the metro station even though the last trains with passengers are supposed to run until 8pm, according to the schedule as of 23 April.

Zelenskyy said that this choice of location was made in order to showcase his preparedness to accept risks to his personal safety.

To be updated...