President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 21 responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin's latest statements on Ukraine, saying that Ukraine intends to defend itself and that the federal government had made a number of selections to bolster safety in mild of the Kremlin's threats.
Putin mentioned "all of Ukraine" belongs to Russia in a speech on June 20 on the St. Petersburg Worldwide Financial Discussion board, pointing to Moscow's maximalist territorial ambitions in Ukraine.
"Wherever the foot of a Russian soldier steps is Russian land," he mentioned.
In his night handle on June 21, Zelensky described Putin's speech as a "efficiency" however mentioned Ukraine was taking the threats severely.
"However when a assassin says he desires to kill, we take it severely and can reply along with our companions," Zelensky mentioned.
"I hope with all our companions," he added, probably referring to america' diminishing help for Ukraine below U.S. President Donald Trump.
Zelensky mentioned he held conferences with Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Safety Service of Ukraine (SBU), Commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, and International Minister Andrii Sybiha about methods to bolster Ukraine's protection and worldwide help.
"After all, we’ll discover Ukrainian drones for the foot of each Russian soldier," he mentioned. "After all, Ukraine will defend itself."
The Ukrainian authorities has made a number of selections in mild of Russia's overt threats, Zelensky mentioned. These embrace an entire diplomatic overhaul and transformation of Ukraine's International Ministry, intensified efforts to coordinate worldwide sanctions, and extra funding for drone growth.
Kyiv's directions for the SBU stay confidential, Zelensky mentioned.
The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy