Ukrainian president urges West to cool rhetoric on Russia
CTV
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the West to cool the rhetoric, saying that it's putting his country's economy at risk, even as Russian warships carried out target practice in the Black Sea.
"We should have no panic. We have a powerful army," he told reporters on Friday.
These statements appear to clash with the U.S. President Joe Biden on the assessment of the security threat. In a call on Thursday, Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart there was "a distinct possibility" of a Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.
When asked about Zelensky's remarks urging the West to tone it down, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stood by the administration's messaging, noting the presence of more than 100,000 troops at Ukraine's borders.
"It’s a dangerous situation. And we’ve been saying for over a week that Russia could invade at any time," she said on Friday. "This has been our message, and we’ve been really consistent."