Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a clarification statement this Tuesday, after making “sarcastic” comments about an imminent February 16 Russian invasion of his country.
The president’s earlier statement was made in a video published late this Monday on Facebook, February 14, where Zelenskyy sarcastically said that “we are told that February 16 will be the day of the attack.”
The president was referencing an Associated Press anonymous source, reported this weekend and relayed by multiple outlets.
Many media outlets and international markets took the president’s statement for face value and reported the news as a confirmation from Ukraine.
The president’s spokesman, Sergii Nykyforov, said that the president, a former comedian, was only saying what has been reported elsewhere, as Ukrainians themselves understood Zelenskyy was being sarcastic when discussing the possible date of an attack.
Russia, which has stationed some 130,000 troops as well as tanks and other military units near Ukraine’s borders, denies it is planning to invade its former Soviet republic again.
Russia announced this Tuesday morning that some troops are returning to bases from near Ukraine amid invasion fears, claiming that the troops in question have finished their military exercises in the region.
Despite daily reports about a Russian invasion threat, individuals on the ground, both officials and civilians, are ensuring that “life is very normal and no threats are seen across the country.”
Considering the large Moroccan diaspora living in the European country, Morocco’s embassy in Kyiv advised its nationals to “return home and avoid traveling to Ukraine for the time being,” in fear of a future escalation.
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