President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to sit down for talks while urging the West to offer a stronger military assistance to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion.In a sarcastic reference to a long table Putin used for his recent meetings with foreign leaders and Russian officials, Zelenskyy said: "Sit down with me to negotiate, just not at 30 meters," adding, "I don’t bite.
What are you afraid of?"During Thursday's news conference, Zelenskyy said that prospects for another round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiations don’t seem promising, but emphasized the need to negotiate, adding that "any words are more important than shots."RELATED: Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy?: How this comedian became a wartime presidentHe said the world was too slow to offer support for Ukraine and prodded Western leaders to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine to deny access to the Russian warplanes.
The U.S. and NATO allies have ruled out the move that would directly pit Russian and Western militaries.Zelenskyy charged that if the West remains reluctant to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine, it should at least provide Kyiv with warplanes.Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a national address on Thursday, falsely accusing Ukrainians of intentionally forcing Russia to wage war in populated areas including schools and residential buildings.