Ukraine President rejects US offer to evacuate Kyiv: 'I need ammunition, not a ride'

Russian troops continue to encircle Kyiv amid repeated calls from the West to withdraw from Ukrainian territory and adhere to the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has turned down the offer by the US government to evacuate the country as invading Russian forces closed in on Kyiv, according to Associated Press. After the US asked the Ukrainian president to leave his country, an upbeat Zelenskiy said, “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” reported AP citing a senior American intelligence official familiar with direct knowledge of the conversation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. (Reuters)

Russian troops continue to encircle Kyiv amid repeated calls from the West to withdraw from Ukrainian territory and adhere to the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been reluctant in paying heed to such calls and even urged Ukraine’s military to mutiny.

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As rumours of Zelenskiy fleeing the country floated on social media, the Ukrainian President posted a video of him, along with his key aides, standing outside the presidency building and vowing to defend Kyiv against the Russian invasion.

"We're all here. Our military is here. Citizens in society are here. We're all here defending our independence, our country, and it will stay this way," Zelensky said.

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The Ukrainian President has been reaching out to other countries, especially the West, for military aid. On Friday, Zelensky said he had spoken with US President Joe Biden about military aid and sanctions.

The West-backed resolution, calling for unconditional withdrawal from Ukrainian territory, also failed at the UN Security Council as Russia expectedly vetoed it. Eleven members voted for the adoption of the resolution and three, including India and China, abstained.

(With AP inputs)