I’m not afraid of being killed, it’s Putin who is afraid – Corriere.it

In the evening, Volodymyr Zelensky takes stock of his busy day in a special Door to door conducted live by Bruno Vespa from the terrace of the Vittoriano. He has been missing from Rome “since the beginning of 2020, it was another life”. It shows Saint Peterand the story of a city that welcomed him with open arms in all its representations and also with the elite of journalism who interviewed him together with the landlord, directors and columnists.

And he speaks at 360 degrees, sending very clear messages: the war will only end with the “victory” of UkraineThe Dad it can play an important role but “a mediator” is not needed, there is a 10-point plan of which something but not everything can be discussed, an international tribunal is needed to punish the invaders; China “will not supply weapons to Russia”, Putin is isolated, “no one can know what he has in mind but we must not be afraid”: his people do not want to fight and “soon” we will start with the decisive counter-offensive. Kind in manner but hard in substance, Zelensky moves as a leader expert. And when asked if he ever thought he couldn’t lead a small country against a great power, he replies with a smile: “But I did it”.

The counteroffensive

The president does not reveal military plans. He lets it be known that his troops are “preparing and working hard” to reconquer the lost territories now that partner countries have provided maximum aid, but there are no timescales to announce. The “demotivation” of Russian soldiers, international pressure, military aid will “shortly” favor amassive action. When that happens, the war “will be won.” And then he will take off his camouflage and «I’ll put the jacket back on». But today, he explains her, “I’m not afraid of being a target, it is Putin who is afraid of dying”.

Public opinion

Zelensky is not afraid of a declining consensus for his country in European public opinion. He says that Russian counterinformation will not pass for a simple reason: if Ukraine fell then Putin would not stop, this time he would attack other NATO countries and at that point Italian parents and those of other countries at war would have to “send their children to die”. It is “like Covid”, if you don’t help your neighbor then it will be your turn. For this, thanks to Italy (and Meloni) and its humanitarian and military support: without the air defense provided by Rome and Paris “there would have been many more deaths”. He denies that he did not want the Deputy Prime Minister Salvini present at the meetings: with «pleasure to meet him». The League rejoices: «he put an end to the lies of the left».

Meeting with the Pope

An “honour” to meet him. But the Ukrainian president is clear: «We must not only discuss peace, nobody wants war» but one cannot be equidistant because «with all due respect to His Holiness, we do not need mediators, we need a just peace, we cannot mediate with Putin. The war is in Ukraine, we’ve been busyand therefore it is up to them to decide how the war should end. In short, the peace plan must “be Ukrainian”. Instead, Zelensky asked the Pope to put pressure on him to go home Ukrainian children deported to Russia.

Peace is “victory”

So what is the way to end hostilities? Zelensky is very clear on this. There is no possibility of an agreement until Russia has left its country and will not be Crimea also reconquered. And there is more given that in the “ten points” that his government foresees, there is the establishment of a international court that condemns the aggressors, because even territorial reintegration is not enough for those who have lost their children in the conflict: «I told the parents who buried their children: you don’t have to forgive». Peace, clearly stated, for him is only “victory”.

No dialogue with Putin

According to the Ukrainian president, it is not possible. It’s useless. Putin is not reliable: «Talk about what? It’s a joke to him.” He has always betrayed the agreements: «He could take diplomatic stepsi, but a year later go back to killing». However, if Putin weakens with military defeats, he could be “forced” by those around him to give in. One thing is certain: difficult to use nuclear power because “he would die the next day” and he “wants to live”.

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