Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made clear that a repeat strike on the Moscow oil refinery carried out by defense forces overnight Thursday was a response to the Russian occupiers’ strike on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, and stressed the need to end the war.
"As for our absolutely justified response against Moscow. You can see, given the three rings of air defense around Moscow, we said we would reach them. If Putin does not want to end this war and wants to continue, we will not sit quietly, we will respond. The response must be strong and justified. They struck the Lavra. During our meeting with journalists at the Lavra, I said absolutely frankly, we will prepare a response and you will see it. I think you are seeing it," Zelenskyy told journalists in Brussels on Thursday.
He stressed that "we do not want this war and never did, and everyone knows this, and partners know this, and we certainly do not want Ukraine to burn because of the enemy." "But if Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too. Therefore we once again stress that it is time to end the aggression, it is time to end this war," Zelenskyy added.
