Zelenskyy: world must respond ‘decisively’ if Russia drags out diplomacy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said that if Russia deliberately drags out the diplomatic process, the international community’s response must be “decisive”.

“If Russia is deliberately delaying the diplomatic process, then the world’s response must be decisive: more support for Ukraine and more pressure on the aggressor. I thank all our partners who stand with us, who are ready to help protect lives and strengthen Ukraine, and who are working together to restore security,” he said.

Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Ukrainian energy workers and repair crews who have been working around the clock to restore the power grid following Russian strikes. He noted that the situation in the energy system remains difficult, but authorities and relevant services are doing everything possible to repair damaged infrastructure as quickly as possible.

The President added the Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi and Odesa regions were targeted in the attacks. Dozens of people were injured as a result of the bombardments, including one child, while two fatalities have been confirmed so far.

Zelenskyy said that Russia has used more than 1,300 attack drones, around 1,050 guided aerial bombs and 29 missiles of various types against Ukraine over the past week alone.

He stressed that Ukraine urgently needs stronger air defences, primarily additional missiles for air defence systems.