With Russia's invasion of Ukraine now passing the one-month mark, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the world, calling for global protests in response to the continued onslaught.
Zelensky gave his remarks outside of a government building on Thursday, asking for people everywhere to take to the streets and denounce Russian aggression towards his country.
During his speech, Zelensky said to "make yourself visible and heard" in English while pushing for support.
"Say that people matter, freedom matters. Peace matters. Ukraine matters," Zelensky said.
Protests have taken place worldwide throughout the last month, calling for Russia to pull out of Ukraine and stop the slaughter of innocent lives. In London, Durban, South Africa, Belgrade, Serbia, and more cities across the globe, Ukrainian flags have been flown in support of the nation.
Zelensky has also continued to call for the support of other nations, saying in a video on Wednesday, "The world must stop the war."
Throughout the last month, the Ukrainian president, who has been praised for the work he has done and leadership he has shown, addressed leaders and legislatures throughout Europe and North America, sharing that same message.
Russia has also had its fair share of protests against the war, despite police arresting thousands of protestors, as many as 4,500 in one day earlier this month, the Washington Post reported.
Zelensky also talked to the citizens of Russia during his speech Thursday, acknowledging that they must be tired of Moscow's propaganda.
"Save your sons from the war, tell the truth about the war," Zelensky said.
Related
Despite Russian artillery strikes hitting groups of noncombatant citizens, dozens of protestors in the Russian-occupied city of Kherson showed out on Sunday, yelling, "Go home!" Russian forces dispersed the crowd violently, according to the Washington Post.
Russia's attack on Ukraine has grown more violent as the month has progressed, and many were left worried when a Russian spokesman for Putin would not rule out the use of nuclear weapons.
Dimitry Peskov, the spokesman, said during an interview with CNN that nuclear weapons could be used "if it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be."
However, Zelensky has argued that his country is no threat to Russia and that this war is instead an attack on free and democratic societies by the Kremlin. He restated this point during his video Wednesday.
"They thought Ukrainians would be frightened; they thought Ukrainians would not fight. They were wrong," Zelensky said.
The president later added, "A month has passed — we withstood six times longer than the enemy had planned."
Related
