Zelensky Denies Ukraine Carried Out the Drone Attack on the Kremlin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied on Wednesday that his country was responsible for an early morning drone attack on the Kremlin, saying Russia blamed Ukraine for having lost other means of domestic mobilization. support for the invasion of a country.

“Russia has no victory to report,” Mr Zelensky said during a visit to Helsinki, the Finnish capital, where he met the leaders of the five Nordic countries. Speaking through an interpreter, he said that Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, had assumed that Ukraine was trying to kill him because of his failure in battle and his loss of respect in the world.

“Because of that, they had to make some unexpected moves like a surprise drone strike,” Mr Zelensky said in response to a question about Russia’s claim to have shot down two Ukrainian drones aimed at Mr Putin’s sprawling Kremlin residence. fortress in the center of Moscow.

Mr. Zelensky flatly denied that his country carried out such an attack, Ukraine said focus on fighting on your own soil. “We are defending our village and our city,” he said.

Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky added, has no weapons to spare in such an attack and it will be up to an international court to decide the fate of the Russian leader.

“We are not attacking Putin,” he said. “We leave it to the courts.”

Mr Zelensky is in Finland to meet the Finnish president, Sauli Niinistö, and the leaders of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland to discuss topics including the war in Ukraine and the country’s bid to join NATO. After the first year of the war started by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Mr. Zelensky remained in Ukraine, but has made several international trips since visiting the United States and Poland in December.

During a press conference with Nordic leaders, Mr Zelensky congratulated Finland on joining NATO, the process ended last month, and wants Sweden to finish quickly to bid to become the 32nd member of NATO.

“Ukraine can and should be the 33rd member,” he said. “We know that at the time of aggression, it is impossible to complete the accession of Ukraine to the alliance, but there are no obstacles.”