Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he is no longer pressing for NATO membership for his country, a delicate issue that was one of Russia’s stated reasons for invading its pro-Western neighbour. In another apparent attempt aimed at placating Moscow, Zelenskyy said he was open to “compromise” on the status of two breakaway pro-Russian territories that President Vladimir Putin recognised as independent just before unleashing the invasion on 24 February. “I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that … NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in an interview aired on Monday night on ABC News.
“The alliance is afraid of controversial things, and confrontation with Russia,” the Ukraine President added. Referring to NATO membership, Zelenskyy said through an interpreter that he did not want to be President of a “country which is begging something on its knees”. When ABC News asked him about this Russian demand, Zelenskyy said he was open to dialogue. “I’m talking about security guarantees,” he said.
“What is important to me is how the people in those territories are going to live who want to be part of Ukraine, who in Ukraine will say that they want to have them in,” Zelenskyy said. “So the question is more difficult than simply acknowledging them,” he added. “This is another ultimatum and we are not prepared for ultimatums. What needs to be done is for President Putin to start talking, start the dialogue instead of living in the informational bubble without oxygen.”
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy tweeted a video saying, “Mariupol. Direct strike of Russian troops at the maternity hospital. People, children are under the wreckage. Atrocity! How much longer will the world be an accomplice ignoring terror? Close the sky right now! Stop the killings! You have power but you seem to be losing humanity.” The US has been refusing to declare a no-fly zone above Ukraine, as any US-administered no-fly zone would bring the US into direct conflict with Russia.
Meanwhile, Poland’s offer to send its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via an American airbase in Germany was rejected by the Pentagon. Warsaw had made the offer on Tuesday in response to Zelenskyy’s appeal for fighter jets to bolster his country’s air force. However, the Pentagon issued a statement saying “The prospect of fighter jets at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America departing from a U.S./NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace that is contested with Russia over Ukraine raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance. It is simply not clear to us that there is a substantive rationale for it. We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland’s proposal is a tenable one.” Poland’s—a Nato country—proposal would have put the Nato including the US in direct conflict with Russia.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk confirmed on Wednesday the opening of humanitarian corridors from Enerhodar, Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, from Sumy to Poltava and other Ukrainian cities. Earlier in the day, Enerhodar’s head announced the opening of a humanitarian corridor on Wednesday to evacuate residents to Zaporizhzhia. The local authorities in Bucha, in turn, said that residents of the city and Vorzel will be evacuated to Kyiv on Wednesday. “From 09:00 [local time, 07:00 GMT], a ceasefire will be introduced on the following routes: Enerhodar- Zaporizhzhia, Sumy-Poltava, Izyum-Lozova, Mariupol-Zaporizhia, Volnovakha-Pokrovsk, Vorzel, Borodyanka, Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel (Kyiv region) – Kyiv,” Vereshchuk told reporters. It is also planned to evacuate 55 children and staff from the orphanage in the city of Vorzel, the official said.
Earlier, Russia had announced a humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine for Wednesday morning for the evacuation of the civilian population, media reports said. The announcement came after both sides previously accused each other of disrupting humanitarian corridors. The Russians said that they were ready to provide corridors from Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mariupol, and Zaporizhzhia.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister tweeted, “Russia continues holding hostage over 400.000 people in Mariupol, blocks humanitarian aid and evacuation. Indiscriminate shelling continues. Almost 3.000 newborn babies lack medicine and food. I urge the world to act! Force Russia to stop its barbaric war on civilians and babies!”
Meanwhile, acknowledging the strategic partnership between India and Russia, Sviatoslav Yurash, Ukraine’s youngest Member of Parliament on Wednesday asserted that in light of the Ukraine crisis, India needs to reconsider its position on Moscow. “As far as India-Russia is concerned, you have a treaty on strategic friendship and partnership, I think that needs to be reconsidered in light of not just Ukraine, but all misdeeds that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime has been doing for the last 20 years. Russia needs to be punished by India,” he said. He further praised India for the humanitarian measures taken to help those affected by the Russian military operation against Ukraine and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the current situation in Ukraine.
The MP in an interview with ANI said, “India is one of those countries which will decide the fate of this century. As far as the Indian position on the Russian relationship is concerned, thankful for the call Prime Minister Narendra Modi made to our President. We’re thankful for the humanitarian steps that India has been making.”
In a related development, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi said in a statement that the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) was no longer transmitting data from safeguards monitoring systems installed at the facility. The Director-General indicated that remote data transmission from safeguards monitoring systems installed at the Chornobyl NPP had been lost, the IAEA press release said, adding that, the Agency was looking into the status of safeguards monitoring systems in other locations in Ukraine and will provide further information soon. The Director-General also raised deep concerns about the rotation of staff at the nuclear facility which was also the site of one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters in 1986.
Director-General Grossi stressed that staff operating nuclear facilities must be able to rest and work in regular shifts, stating that it is crucial for overall nuclear safety. “I’m deeply concerned about the difficult and stressful situation facing staff at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and the potential risks this entails for nuclear safety. I call on the forces in effective control of the site to urgently facilitate the safe rotation of personnel there,” Grossi said.