Putin to Ukrainian military: Remove leadership in Kyiv, take power into your own hands

Pic courtesy: Reuters

Kyiv: A day after Moscow launched an invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the Ukrainian military to seize power in their country. "I once again appeal to the military personnel of the armed forces of Ukraine: do not allow neo-Nazis and (Ukrainian radical nationalists) to use your children, wives and elders as human shields," Putin said at a televised meeting with Russia's security council. "Take power into your own hands, it will be easier for us to reach agreement." Putin added that Russian servicemen in Ukraine were acting "bravely, professionally and heroically," reported Reuters.

Putin has said he is fighting 'terrorists' and 'neo-Nazis' in Ukraine. Calling upon the Ukrainian authorities, Putin told the Ukraine army to remove leadership in Kyiv. Earlier on Friday, Putin said that he was ready to hold "high-level negotiations" with Ukraine as he spoke with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping who stressed that both Moscow and Kyiv should resolve the raging crisis through talks. Xi and Putin, regarded as allies and friends as China and Russia enlarged their strategic ties amid the strident US and EU push against them on a host of issues, held their talks on the phone around the same time as the Russian troops closed in on Kyiv, home to over three million people, with heavy bombardment raising fears of bloodshed.

The Russian side is ready to hold "high-level negotiations" with the Ukrainian side, the official Chinese media here quoted Putin as telling Xi. Around the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday reiterated his call for Russian President Putin to hold talks and stop the conflict.

"Fighting is going on all over Ukraine. Let's sit down at the negotiating table," Zelensky said, the Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing a report from Interfax-Ukraine news agency. Xi, whose government stonewalled criticism in the last few days for not condemning the Russian "invasion" of Ukraine, sought to play the role of a peacemaker by saying that China supports Russia and Ukraine to solve the issue through negotiation, the state-run CGTN reported.