War in Ukraine: Zelensky said it was imperative for Ukraine to get more weapons. (File)
Kyiv:
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine hoped to get hold of heavy weapons during talks with US Secretary of State and Defense on Sunday in Kiev.
The Ukrainian leader warned that Kiev would halt talks with Moscow if Russia destroyed “our people” surrounded in the war-torn city of Mariupol, or organize referendums to create more breakaway republics on newly occupied Ukrainian soil.
At one point during an emotional press conference, he said he thought Russia could use a nuclear weapon, but he didn’t want to believe Moscow would.
He said it is imperative for Ukraine to get more weapons.
“As soon as we have (more weapons), as soon as there are enough, believe me, we will immediately recapture this or that area, which is temporarily occupied,” he told reporters.
He used his press conference in the Kiev metro system to announce the imminent arrival of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for talks on Sunday.
“Tomorrow we will discuss this exact list of weapons that are essential to us and the pace of deliveries,” he said. “We expect this. We would like to have … powerful heavy weapons.’
He fought back tears at one point and said he shared the pain of every Ukrainian who had lost children in the Russian war and that Saturday’s rocket attacks had killed eight people in the city of Odessa, including a three-month-old child.
He said Saturday had been one of the hardest days yet for Ukrainian troops surrounded in Mariupol and Kiev had offered Moscow all possible exchange deals to secure their release.
Ukrainian troops entrenched in a steel factory in the city of Mariupol.
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