In a zoom call yesterday, March 7, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a direct plea to American Jews as he condemned the behaviour of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
In the call, Zelenskyy called Putin's invasion 'pure Nazi behaviour', as he appealed to the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations.
Zelenskyy, who is Jewish himself, compared the presence of Russian forces in his country to that of the Nazi army in Europe.
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During the call, the president spoke of the cities and towns reportedly destroyed by Russian forces.
He noted that although Ukrainians were outnumbered, they were continuing to hold firm, as per the Independent.
'They are throwing themselves under the tanks – just for you to understand what’s happening here', he said to the conference.
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Zelenskyy also said Putin's forces weren't letting people evacuate towns or cities, as well as allegedly not allowing food and water to be brought in.
'All of this happened during Nazi times. The survival of the Ukrainian nation – the question will be the same as antisemitism... All of these millions of people are going to be exterminated', he added.
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The leader also emphasised the needless attacks on civilians, noting that on Monday, March 7, 13 people were reportedly killed during the bombing of a bakery.
Meanwhile he said on Sunday 50 children with cancer were transported after a missile hit a paediatric hospital.
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Zelenskyy told the conference: 'They’re bombing the life out of everything that is moving'.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reiterated Zelenskyy's concerns over the bombing of civilian buildings, warning today, March 8, that attacks on Ukrainian hospitals, ambulances and health care had increase 'rapidly' in recent days, as per The Guardian.
The news comes as the UN agency confirmed yesterday that at least nine people had died in 16 attacks on health facilities since the start of the invasion last month.
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Catherine Smallwood, WHO's senior emergency officer for Europe, said: 'We will continue to update those numbers. They’ve been increasing quite rapidly over the past few days.'
Russia continues to deny targeting civilians, instead saying that a 'special military operation' is being carried out against 'nationalists' and 'neo-Nazis' in Ukraine.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Topics: Ukraine, Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, World News