Pravada

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky did not get in touch with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Soon afterwards, it was reported that an airplane took off from Zhuliany airport near Kiev, even though airspace over Ukraine remains closed.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, did not get in touch with him 90 minutes ago, as he had promised, RIA Novosti reports.

Draghi specified that he was supposed to have a telephone conversation with Zelensky in the morning of February 25.

“We agreed to have a telephone conversation at 9.30 (11.30 Moscow time), but it was impossible to hold the conversation, as Zelensky was no longer available,” Mario Draghi added, commenting on the Ukrainian crisis at the chamber Italian parliament.

Draghi noted that he had contacted the Ukrainian president the day before, when both of them took part in an extraordinary meeting of the European Council.

“He took refuge somewhere in Kiev. He said that Ukraine did not have time anymore, and that he and his family were the target of the Russian forces,” Draghi said, saying that Zelensky’s words struck all the participants of the meeting.

Zelensky asks Putin to talk

RIA Novosti later reported, however, that Zelensky offered his Russian counterpart Putin to conduct negotiations.

“I once again want to appeal to the President of the Russian Federation: Let us sit down at the negotiating table to stop the killings of people,” Zelensky said.