Zelensky says he will consider severing diplomatic relations with Russia

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will consider the issue of severing Ukraine's diplomatic relations with Russia.

He announced this at a joint press conference with President of Estonia Alar Karis in Kyiv on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"We see an attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state. I received a request from the Foreign Ministry to consider the issue of severing diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Russia. Immediately after the press conference, I will work on this and other issues," Zelensky said.

The President added that yesterday's events were an "escalation step on the part of Russia" and reminded that Ukraine had recently offered to resolve all issues through negotiations.

"We understand all the risks. We are again calling on Russia to resolve these issues through dialogue, to sit down at the negotiating table. We are ready to meet at any venue. In recent months, we have held consultations with almost all the leaders of EU, US, UK, Germany, France, etc and offered any format of dialogue where the Russian Federation would be present. We received the answer and that answer came yesterday. Ukraine must respond to this by defending sovereignty and our state," the President said.

As Ukrinform reported, on February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of two self-proclaimed entities in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

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