Yet Zelenskyy ultimately left empty-handed, an outcome that dismayed, but did not surprise, many in the streets of the Ukrainian capital, who maintained their determination to end Russia’s invasion of their country. One Ukrainian military serviceman, Roman Vynnychenko, told the Associated Press he believed the prospect of Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine was a political “game”. “Ukraine won’t get those missiles,” he said. Vynnychenko said Ukraine still needed to procure new weapons with or without American help, particularly as Russian drones and missiles continued to hit civilian infrastructure. “Every day civilians and soldiers die, buildings collapse, our streets and cities are being destroyed,” Vynnychenko said. Victoria Khramtsova, a psychologist, said “we just want peace” after being at war for more than three years. “To tell you the truth, I look at the news, but nowadays I read only the headlines. And even those make me sad.”
The exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has warned Trump that Vladimir Putin is not serious about negotiations over Ukraine. Tsikhanouskaya poured cold water on planned talks between the US and Russian presidents, telling AFP in an interview released on Saturday: “As neighbours of Russia, we understand that dictators don’t need peace … So I don’t think that Putin is negotiable at all.” She also urged Trump to step up efforts to support democracy in her country, saying that without a free Belarus, there could be no peace in the region. “Our task is to explain [to Trump] that it’s not only about [political] hostages. It’s about the whole future of our country. And a democratic Belarus is in the interest of the US as well,” she added.
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