President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensuky gives a press conference for Ukrainian and foreign media in Kyiv.

What did he say:.

If our people are destroyed in Mariupol, if a referendum is announced in any occupied territories of Ukraine, Ukraine will withdraw from any negotiations.

As for the supply of weapons, we do not care what Russia thinks about this. Although they themselves delivered a lot of equipment to us - we remember how they threw their weapons and ran away.

It’s hard for me to appreciate why he (Putin) has been holding onto a table or an armchair all these years. I don't think this is related to why he and his army came to our land and the creeping cobra occupation goes on every day and every year..

We were not respected in Russia and despised at the level of power, and at the level of a large percentage of their society. They do not consider our state independent, they do not respect our culture and values, they believe that we do not have the right to independence, which means the right to life. This is what we're fighting against.

As soon as we have more weapons, we will go ahead to take back our territories.. Everything that they break through or temporarily occupy, we will return everything.. And it won't be in decades.

I'm not very afraid of assassination attempts. My guards are afraid and my family is afraid.

Most Ukrainians are not just ready to live 10-15-20 years in permanent wartime - we have no other choice. We have already become such a state - to protect our land for many years. When we win, we will have the strongest and most experienced army. And we will become one of the most powerful states in Europe.

Tomorrow people from the United States of America are coming to visit us, I will have a meeting with the Secretary of Defense and with the Secretary of State of the United States, Mr. Blinken. I think we will wait until security will enable the President of the United States to come and support the Ukrainian people. And it's very important.

We (Ukraine and Georgia) are really fraternal peoples, and I really don’t understand the position of the leaders of your state, that’s why I perceive it so painfully. And I think it's not worth it, what they go for. The non-imposition of these sanctions, these pennies in the history of the two states, in the history of such a neighborhood.

I want to stop the war and end it. There is a diplomatic way and a military way. Any healthy person chooses the diplomatic path because they know that even if it is difficult, it can prevent the loss of millions of people.. This is not wanted.

Most Ukrainians are not just ready to live 10-15-20 years in permanent wartime - we have no other choice. We have already become such a state - to protect our land for many years.

Ukraine is not capable of military deblockade of Mariupol now, the Ukrainian military who are there (at Azovstal) understand this, this is a reality.

We will meet the Secretary General (UN Antonio Guterres), who will come to us, we will communicate with him. It seems to me that we have taken many steps to change his position and strengthen his position regarding support for Ukraine. I had several personal meetings with him, and I told him quite firmly that it was impossible to have a balance in relations between Ukraine and Russia.. We expect 100% support from the UN Secretary General. 100%, because 100% truth is on our side, and we have a war (going on).

I think that all Ukrainians, especially those who remained in the state, the majority of Ukrainians, they are not just ready - we have no other choice. We have become such a state. We are already a state that knows that we need to protect our state. It doesn't mean that we will fight. On the contrary, we will have the most powerful and experienced army. As for security guarantees, I think we will become one of the strongest states in Europe, because we have no other choice.. These are the realities we live with.