Zelensky delivers address in Russian, calling for peace

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
(Image credit: Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke directly to the people of Russia on Wednesday night, saying they have been told by Russian President Vladimir Putin that he has a "plan to free the people of Ukraine, but the Ukrainian people are free."

Zelensky delivered his taped appeal in Russian, stating that the images and information being shared by Russian leaders and state media isn't telling the actual story of what is happening in Ukraine. "They say that Ukraine may pose a threat to Russia," Zelensky said. "This wasn't a case in the past, nor is it now, and won't be in the future. Our main goal is to maintain peace in Ukraine and keep Ukrainian citizens safe." He said Russian television "will certainly not show this video, but the Russian people must watch it. The truth must be known."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.