“The fight is here," the 44-year-old president reportedly told the Americans. "I need ammunition, not a ride.”
Russian forces had surrounded the Ukrainian capital of Kiev by Saturday morning, with reports indicating that fighting in the capital city was underway. Some residents hid in air raid shelters, while others took up arms against the Russians in street fights across the city.
In a defiant video addressing his fellow Ukrainians, Zelensky said "We're in here. We are in Kyiv. We defend Ukraine", while standing outside the presidential administration building, countering rumours that he had fled.
"Our military are here, our citizens and society are here. We are all here defending our independence, our state, and this is how it's going to be," he continued.
“We aren’t going to lay down weapons. We will protect the country,” he said. “Our weapon is our truth, and our truth is that it’s our land, our country, our children. And we will defend all of that.”
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also vowed to flight alongside his countrymen, taking up a rifle and reportedly joining a 'territorial defence' battalion.
Meanwhile, the United States and other countries imposed harsh sanctions on Russia. The NATO Response Force has been activated, although it remains unclear how many or how far troops would be deployed, as Ukraine is not a member state.