Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has posted a video on his Twitter account this morning, sending out a defiant message to Russia that the people of Ukraine would "not lay down any weapons".
Russian troops are continuing to press toward Ukraine’s capital after a night of explosions and street fighting that sent Kyiv residents seeking shelter underground.
Zelensky shot a selfie video this morning in the aftermath of those attacks, denouncing claims that he had fled the country.
He said: "I am here. We will not lay down any weapons. We will defend our state, because our weapons are our truth.
Не вірте фейкам. pic.twitter.com/wiLqmCuz1p
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 26, 2022
"A lot of fake information has appeared on the internet saying that I allegedly called on our army to lay down its arms and that evacuation is underway.
"Our truth is that this is our land, our country, our children and we will protect all of this.
"This is what I wanted to tell you. Glory to Ukraine!"
Zelensky has also pushed for Ukraine’s urgent ascension to the European Union in recent days, saying he had discussed the issue with EU leaders.
US officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to overthrow Ukraine’s government and replace it with a regime of his own.
The invasion represented his boldest effort yet to redraw the map of Europe and revive Moscow’s Cold War-era influence, and it triggered new international efforts to end the invasion, including direct sanctions on Mr Putin.
The Kremlin accepted Kyiv’s offer to hold talks, but it appeared to be an effort to squeeze concessions out of the embattled Mr Zelensky instead of a gesture towards a diplomatic solution.
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