"Ukrainian President to Evacuate to Western Lviv in Case of Russian Invasion"

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] In the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, a plan to evacuate the Ukrainian president to a western border city of Ukraine is reportedly being discussed between the United States and the Ukrainian government.

According to a report by NBC News on the 22nd (local time), a source explained that in wartime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be evacuated to Lviv in the west, about 80 km from the Polish border.

Recently, the Ukrainian government has been cautiously preparing for the possibility of a Russian military attack, and there are claims that key information technology (IT) infrastructure and military command centers are being relocated to the outskirts of the capital, Kyiv.

According to the White House, President Zelensky spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden for about 35 minutes the previous afternoon to discuss response measures. The White House stated that during the call, the two leaders reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Ukraine's territory and sovereignty and strongly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement approving the separatist independence of pro-Russian regions in eastern Ukraine. However, there was no mention of the Ukrainian president's evacuation.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council (NSC) declined to confirm whether such a plan is actually under discussion. The Ukrainian presidential spokesperson also denied that President Zelensky had such discussions with President Biden.

On the morning of the 22nd, President Zelensky said in a national address, "We will not give anything to Russia," adding, "We have long been prepared to do whatever it takes."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.