Ukrainian President Volodymyr ZelenskyMOSCOW, Feb. 25Vladimir Zelensky said he had spoken with the President of the United States Joe Biden, discussed increased sanctions and military assistance. «Just discussed with the US President increased sanctions, specific defense support and an anti-war coalition. Grateful to the United States for the strong support to Ukraine!» Zelensky wrote on Twitter. Earlier, Biden said that US troops would not fight Russia in Ukraine. On Thursday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had decided on a special military operation to demilitarize Ukraine. In a televised address to the Russians, he said that the circumstances «require decisive and immediate action from us, the people's republics of Donbass turned to Russia with a request for help.» According to the Russian leader, all responsibility for the bloodshed will be on the conscience of the ruling regime in Ukraine. He urged the Ukrainian military not to follow the criminal orders of the Ukrainian authorities, lay down their arms and go home. Later, the Russian Defense Ministry stressed that the Russian Armed Forces do not launch any missile, air or artillery strikes on the cities of Ukraine: military infrastructure, air defense facilities are disabled by high-precision weapons , military airfields and aviation. The ministry assured that the civilian population is not in danger.
