After the first round of talks this week generated no headway, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on Tuesday that Russia must stop shelling Ukrainian cities before genuine talks on a ceasefire can begin.

In an interview conducted in a strongly guarded government facility, Zelenskyy asked NATO countries to establish a no-fly zone to stop Russia’s air force, claiming that this would be a preventative step rather than an attempt to draw NATO into a confrontation with Russia.

Zelenskyy, who has resisted offers to leave Kiev as Russian forces advance, also stated that if NATO rejects Ukraine’s membership prospects, Ukraine will seek legally binding security assurances.

In a joint interview with Reuters and CNN, Zelenskyy laid out his requirements for continued discussions with Russia, saying, “At the very least, stop bombing people, simply stop bombing people, and then sit down at the negotiating table.”

During his speech, news broke that a Russian missile had hit a television tower at a Holocaust memorial site in Kiev, killing at least five people. Missiles hit the heart of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s eastern metropolis, earlier on Tuesday.

GUARANTEES IF NOT NATO

Ukraine has gotten arms shipments from NATO allies to assist it to stave off a full-scale military invasion launched by Russian soldiers last week, while the West has imposed harsh economic penalties on Russia.

Zelenskyy, on the other hand, has called on the international community to do more, including implementing a no-fly zone.

“It is not the intention to draw NATO members into a conflict. The truth is that everyone has been drawn into a war for a long time, and it is not because of Ukraine, but because of Russia, which is currently engaged in a large-scale conflict “According to Zelenskyy,

However, he said that US Vice President Joe Biden had personally told him that now was not the time to present such a bill.

Ukraine has pushed NATO to speed up its membership, a move that Russia has vehemently opposed and highlighted as one of the reasons for its military assault.

“Our allies should work out collective security guarantees for Ukraine if they are not willing to let Ukraine into NATO… since Russia does not want Ukraine to be in NATO,” Zelenskyy added.

“This implies that we have territorial integrity, that our borders are protected, that we have special relationships with all of our neighbours, that we are fully safe, and that the guarantors who provide us protection do it legally.”

For the interview, which took place in a tightly secured building, the 44-year-old president was unshaven and dressed in a plain khaki T shirt, trousers, and combat boots.

FIGHT UNTIL THE VERY LAST MINUTE

In what it calls a special military operation against its neighbour, Russia has neither achieved swift gains or conquered large cities.

While Ukraine has fought alone on the battlefield, it has challenged Europe to acknowledge that its security is intertwined with that of the West.

“It’s critical to understand that if Ukraine collapses, all of these (Russian) troops will be stationed on the borders of your NATO member countries…. and you’ll be faced with the same problem,” Zelenskyy added.

He lamented the fact that Europe and the US had ignored Kyiv’s requests for pre-emptive measures before the war began, but praised the impact they were having on Russia today.

Ukraine’s friends had pledged financial support throughout the war, but Zelenskyy pushed them to act quickly.

“Every day is a war, and we need help every day,” he stated. “We don’t have a lot of time to talk.”

The president has stayed in Kyiv to rally his people against Russia’s invasion, which is now in its sixth day, uploading social media videos and assuring the public that he, his family, and closest officials have not fled.

“I work and I sleep,” he said when asked about his everyday routine. He was visibly moved as he stated that he hadn’t seen his children in two days.

When asked how long his country would hold out, Zelenskyy replied, “I don’t know.” “We do not stall; we fight, and our country will fight until the bitter end. We are defending our land and our homes because this is our home. For the sake of our children’s children’s children’s children’s children’s children’s children’s children”

He claimed that children were dying.

“We get a cause to fight for: our right to live. What are they doing here (Russians)? They have no idea who we are, what we believe, or how we live… They have no idea what they’re doing here; they’ve been sent to kill and die. As a result, we are and will continue to be stronger on our own land.”