Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin (AP images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday reacted to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to China, accusing him of trying to shift blame for the ongoing war in Ukraine. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said Putin was “spinning tales” in China, pretending he was not responsible for the conflict. “As if someone always forces him – to fight, to kill, to drive children into shelters, to send thousands of people to storm our positions,” he wrote. Putin travelled to Tianjin in China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. He also participated in the military parade in Beijing marking 80 years since the end of World War II. The Ukrainian leader also condemned Russia’s intensifying air attacks, saying the brazenness of Moscow’s actions were intensifying. Zelenskyy said that in just one day Russia launched 150 drones at night, more than 50 in the morning and dozens more in the evening. He added that most of the drones were Iranian-made Shaheds.He also alleged that the surge in drone strikes coincided with Putin’s diplomatic outreach in China. “An open disregard by Russia for everything the world is doing to stop this war,” Zelenskyy said.Zelenskyy also pointed to Moscow’s dismissal of US President Donald Trump’s recent comments about the need for a leaders’ meeting to resolve the conflict. The Ukrainian president further warned of a buildup of Russian forces on parts of the frontline and vowed that Kyiv would respond, including through what he described as “asymmetrical” measures to make Moscow feel the consequences of its actions. He stressed that Ukraine would continue working with its international partners to step up pressure on Russia.The parade saw the participation of several other leaders, including North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian. About two dozen foreign leaders were in attendance as Beijing showcased military strength and sought to bolster global ties amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States.
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