Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Zelensky: Ukraine will pull out of peace talks if Russia kills Mariupol defenders

President Volodymyr Zelensky gave an unusual press conference for Ukrainian and foreign journalists on the platform of the Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) metro station in Kyiv yesterday.
Photo: EPA/BGNES

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns he'll call off peace talks with Russia if Mariupol's defenders are killed and "if a pseudo-referendum to create new pseudo-republics" in the occupied territories is announced, Reuters reported.  

At a press conference in Kyiv subway yesterday, Zelensky again called for face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war..

Russian forces in Ukraine tried to storm the Azovstal steel plant housing soldiers and civilians in Mariupol on Saturday while attempting to crush the last corner of resistance, the Associated Press reported. The assault on the eve of Orthodox Easter came after the Kremlin claimed its military had seized all of Mariupol except for the Azovstal plant.

The fate of the Ukrainians holed up in the steel mill wasn't immediately clear; earlier Saturday, a Ukrainian volunteer military unit “Azov” released a video in which women and children are shown holed up underground.

In the meanwhile Russia's military pounded other cities and towns in southern and eastern Ukraine. A three-month-old baby was among at least eight people killed after Russian cruise missiles were fired at Odessa, AP has quoted Ukrainian authorities as saying.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will visit Ukraine today, Volodymyr Zelensky said. The country has long awaited a high-profile visit from the US as a sign of support, the BBC said.




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

According to Eurostat, Bulgarians are third in the EU in terms of longevity and good health, but is that true?

Bulgaria is ranked in third place in terms of longevity and good health among 30 European countries, according to Eurostat. According to data for 2023, Bulgarians live an average of 68.6 years in good health. Only people in Malta and Italy are ahead of..

published on 8/12/25 10:53 AM
Nikola Altankov

Renowned Bulgarian Prof. Nikola Altankov has passed away at the age of 93

On August 10 in Sofia, at the age of 93, Prof. Nikola Altankov passed away . His life was marked by trials and dedication to the Bulgarian cause, which did not prevent him from being an eternal optimist for the future of his homeland. At the age..

published on 8/12/25 10:23 AM
Firefighting helicopter in Sungurlare

Firefighting continues in Pirin Mountain and near town of Sungurlare

159 fires have been extinguished in Bulgaria over the past 24 hours , the General Directorate of Fire Safety and Population Protection announced. No one died or was injured in the fires. The fire near the village of Skala in Sungurlare has been..

published on 8/12/25 9:26 AM