Ukraine’s President urges Russian soldiers to lay down arms

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Kyviv,
Feb
28:
Ukraine’s
president
Volodymr
Zelensky
has
urged
Russian
soldiers
to
lay
down
their
weapons
and
desert
as
Ukrainian
and
Russian
delegations
were
set
to
hold
talks
on
Moscow’s
invasion.

Zelensky
says
prisoners
with
military
experience
and
who
want
to
fight
the
Russians
will
be
released.
He
also
said
that
prisoners
with
military
experience
and
who
want
to
fight
the
Russians
will
be
released.

He
further
said
that
4,500
Russian
soldiers
have
been
killed
so
far.

Ukraine’s
Presidential
office
on
Monday
said
a
delegation
arrived
for
talks
with
Russia
on
the
border
with
Belarus.
It’s
unclear
whether
they’ll
lead
to
any
breakthrough.

Ukrainian
President
Volodymyr
Zelenskyy’s
office
said
it
would
demand
an
immediate
cease-fire.
It
wasn’t
immediately
clear
what
the
Kremlin
was
ultimately
seeking,
either
in
the
talks
or,
more
broadly,
from
its
war
in
Ukraine.

In
his
latest
video
message,
Zelensky
also
asked
the
European
Union
on
Monday
to
“urgently
admit
Ukraine”
to
the
bloc.

“We
appeal
to
the
European
Union
to
urgently
admit
Ukraine
using
a
new
procedure,”
Zelensky
said

“We
are
grateful
to
partners
for
standing
with
us.
But
our
goal
is
to
be
with
all
Europeans
and,
to
be
equal
to
them.
I
am
sure
we
deserve
it.
I
am
sure
it
is
possible.”