Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has turned down an American offer to evacuate from the capital city of Kyiv, insisting that he needs ammunition and "not a ride", and vowed to defend his country from Russia's military offensive.
Zelenskyy told Ukrainians that the capital was still under their control and the country's forces had withstood and successfully repelled “enemy attacks”.
"The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride," Zelensky told the US, according to the Ukraine embassy in Britain.
"Ukrainians are proud of their President," CNN reported, citing the embassy tweet on Saturday.
In a video posted on Saturday morning entitled "do not believe the fakes," Zelenskyy revealed that he is still in Kyiv.
"I am here. We are not putting down arms. We will be defending our country, because our weapon is truth, and our truth is that this is our land, our country, our children, and we will defend all of this," he said.
"That is it. That's all I wanted to tell you. Glory to Ukraine," the 44-year-old leader added.
Also Read: Russian troops ordered to advance in Ukraine
Zelenskyy remains a "prime target for Russian aggression," US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Thursday, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
It echoed Zelenskyy's own words that his intelligence said he has become a key target, the report said.
Zelinskyy on Saturday spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought India's political support at the UN Security Council to stop Russia's military offensive against his country.
Zelesnskyy has been making desperate appeals for help as Russian forces intensified their offensive in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other areas.
The US and its allies have decided to block assets of four large Russian banks, impose export controls and sanction oligarchs close to Russian President Vladimir Putin after he ordered a "special military operation" against Ukraine on Thursday.
More than 120,000 people have fled Ukraine since Russia's assault began Thursday, a UN official told CNN on Saturday, and there are queues at a number of border crossings.
US President Joe Biden is seriously weighing whether to remove Russia from SWIFT, the high-security network that connects thousands of financial institutions around the world but has yet to make a final decision.
The UK is all set to impose direct sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced earlier in the week.
The European Union (EU) and the US are planning a similar freeze on their assets.
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