Ukraine leader to attend Munich despite invasion fear

AFP , Saturday 19 Feb 2022

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has not changed his plans to personally attend Saturday's Munich Security Conference, his office said, despite US warnings of a Russian invasion.

Shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) listening to explanations during a military drill outside the city of Rivne, northern Ukraine. on February 16, 2022. AFP

Without referring to US President Joe Biden's questioning of whether it would be wise to leave Kyiv, Zelensky's office issued a statement insisting the situation in Ukraine's east "remains under full control".

Zelensky will meet with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US Vice President Kamala Harris, his office said.

"Vladimir Zelensky expects concrete agreements concerning the delivery to our country of additional military and financial support," his office said, adding that he would return to Kyiv later Saturday.

Warning that he believed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had made the decision to invade Ukraine, Biden on Friday suggested "it may not be the wise choice" for Zelensky to attend that annual Munich conference.

"But it's his decision," Biden added.

Without referring to US President Joe Biden's questioning of whether it would be wise to leave Kyiv, Zelensky's office issued a statement insisting that the situation in Ukraine's east "remains under full control".