Our interview with President Zelensky of Ukraine.

His plea for help tonight from the US and NATO what he says he needs most right now.

And it comes amid a worsening seen across much of Ukraine these last 24 hours civilians coming under attack while trying to flee to safety.

President Zelensky saying Kiev and other cities are being bombarded tonight.

Those civilians under fire as they flee the violence And we warn you, these images are difficult.

Morning, A mortar shell exploding along the escape route from the city of their pine that's 16 miles northwest of Kiev, stunned people watching then rushing across the street to help the injured but not everyone could be saved.

Eight people were killed including at least three members of the same family.

The US Secretary of State has said the U.

S.

Is investigating credible reports, civilians have been targeted by the Russians.

If so, he said they would be war crimes.

Mhm.

And then the sound of shelling along that same route, people throwing themselves to the ground dropping their luggage behind, grabbing their Children's hands.

This is what they're now facing as they're trying to flee to safety soldiers stepping in lifting Children over barriers, helping with their bags and luggage, putting toddlers into strollers, helping families stay together.

And so often along the way it has been President Zelensky signaling to the Ukrainian people, he is there.

He is not leaving that facebook message.

The morning after the unprovoked invasion began saying we are here vowing he will not leave in my interview with him here tonight.

He praises the Ukrainian people's unprecedented courage saying we will endure tonight.

President Zelensky who talked with President biden again over the weekend, we asked Zelensky what he needs most, what he's asking for from the US.

And tonight hear his message to Vladimir Putin and at the very end of our interview, his message in english to the american people tonight.

Our interview, his words with help from the Ukrainian government translator in the room at the office of the President in Kiev Mr.

President, thank you so much for joining us.

We're aware of the situation around Kiev right now.

The fighting to the north, the fighting to the west.

What is the situation right now on the ground there?

And how long do you think you can keep the capital of Kiev?

We are being bombarded not only in the city of cave, not only in the housing sectors, but also in the suburbs of cave.

You can't even recognize the way our capital looks right now.

The city of Kharkiv Odessa Mariupol.

Many cities are being bombed.

I know you're aware of the reality on the ground.

When you list all of those cities where there is Russian bombardment right now, the Russians closing in the pentagon Of course here in the US believes that about 95% of Russian troops that had been amassed along the Ukrainian border are now inside Ukraine.

That would be nearly 150,000 troops.

How long can the Ukrainian military?

The Ukrainian people hold off the Russians.

I'm sure that Ukrainians are prepared to stand against Russia for their entire lives.

Even the cities that were occupied by Russian military, they have seen the response and feedback from ordinary people.

These ordinary people didn't have machine guns.

This courage is something that is unprecedented and Russian soldiers don't even have that courage.

The problem is that for one soldier of Ukraine we have 10 Russian soldiers and for one Ukrainian tanks we have 50 Russian tanks but we are destroying them and these differences.

The gap is closing.

But the question is how long can we withstand?

Many things depend not just on us, we will endure.

And even if they come into all our cities there will be insurgency, insurgent war and no one will give away our independence today.

War is here tomorrow, it will be in Lithuania than in Poland than in Germany.

This is serious.

United States is far away.

But in recent days I do feel that the United States are closer to us.

I know you spoke with President biden again.

I'm curious what's the most important thing you're asking the President for asking the U.

S.

For right now, I told him that for us the most important today is the security in the sky.

We cannot allow Russia to be active there only because they are bombing us?

They are shelling us.

They are bombing us.

They're sending missiles, helicopters, jet fighters.

So a lot of things.

But we are not doing this because we don't have this guy, we don't control our sky.

The President and NATO have said no to this.

No fly zone.

Because of concerns.

This could trigger a much wider conflict, much bigger war than what we're seeing already.

Because there have to be a willingness to shoot Russian planes out of the sky.

Do you understand that concern?

What do you mean to shoot down Russian planes?

If the missile is flying yesterday, for example, the missile hit the university in the city of Heart and the dormitory and the same missile hit the pediatric clinic in keep.

So if this missile is flying, so are you thinking whether to shoot it down or not?

I think there is no any other answer, but to Yes, yes, they should need to be shot down.

You have to preserve preserve lives.

I'm sure that the brave american soldiers who would be shooting it down knowing that is flying towards the students.

I'm sure that they had no doubt in doing so.

Mr.

President.

I know that no one questions the horror unfolding in Ukraine right now, what the President has said here and lawmakers really in both parties, Republicans and democrats have stood behind the President on this.

The concern about protecting enforcing a no fly zone over Ukraine would then lead to the possibility it would draw the US into a wider war with Russia that they're simply not willing to do that.

We are a place in europe, a place of freedom, a zone of freedom and everyone thinks that we are far away from America or Canada.

No we are this zone of freedom.

And when the limits of rights and freedoms are being violated and stepped on then you have to protect us because we will come first, you will come second because the more this beast will eat, he wants more and more and more.

Mr President you talked about the need for fighter jets.

We know the U.

S.

Is reportedly looking at how to supply Russian jets from Poland.

You had you had requested these jets because Ukrainian fighter pilots know how to fly these Russian planes.

Has there been any movement on that front?

We asked not only the United States.

We asked many other countries, I'm not going to name them.

We looked into this question, we know where these soviet planes are stationed, which countries host them.

And we asked these countries and in many ways it is the United States in many ways, who will decide, do you believe the President could be doing more to help?

I'm sure that the President can do more.

I'm sure he can and I would like to believe that that he's capable of doing that The us Secretary of State Antony Blinken said just in the last 24 hours that the US is looking at credible reports that civilians have been intentionally targeted there in Ukraine saying if so it would be a war crime.

We of course have seen these horrific images in these last few hours.

Do you believe that Putin is deliberately attacking civilians?

Why would I care?

The result is the same people are dying.

The bombardment of the schools and kindergartens, the universities, the dormitory, the bombardment of nuclear power plant without even thinking that europe may disappear if it really hits the unit every minute, every hour, every day the same things are happening.

People are dying.

Do you believe Putin is a war criminal?

I think that old people who came to our land, all people who gave those orders.

All soldiers who were shooting.

They're all war criminals.

Let me ask you Mr President.

It's believed the U.

S.

And the west have offered help to get you out of that country alive if it comes to that.

Have they made that offer?

And how long will you stay?

Yes I was offered because there was a lot of information and several special special groups who sent to kill me and my family.

I said no because how can I do this?

I'm the citizen of my country and I'm the elected president of these people.

So you will stay until the end no matter what that means.

Well I would like the end to be like in the Hollywood movies.

The happy end for our country.

What would you like to say to Vladimir Putin right now?

I think he is capable of stopping the war that he started and even if he doesn't think that he was the one who started, he should know one important thing.

I think that cannot deny that stopping the war is what he is capable of for the american people and for the people of the west who have been moved by your resilience and by the bravery of the Ukrainian people.

Do you have a message for them?

Ah I I don't know what to say, thank you very much.

You know you know what to say to americans I just want you to feel and to understand what does it mean for us?

Freedom.

Because always american people, they speak about freedom and they and they know what is it.

And now when you're looking at Ukrainians I think you feel, what does it mean for us?

So we are not far from you, we are not far from you.

And that's why americans.

If you see and if you understand how we feel life, how we fight against all the enemies for our freedom, support us supported and not only with words with pancreatic direct steps do it and you and I think I think will will will win of course together with all the with all the world and late today President Zelensky addressing the people of Ukraine telling them we're not scared because you're not scared.

Zelensky speaking from his presidential office during that message and that's where he was for our interview earlier today.

Hi everyone George Stephanopolous here.

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