Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on German citizens to end all economic relations with Russia in order to deprive Russia of the means to continue its war with Ukraine.
"Don't be sponsors of this country's war machine, not one euro for the occupiers, close all your ports to them, don't supply goods, refuse Russian energy resources, press Russia to leave Ukraine," he said in a video message to protesters in support of Ukraine in Berlin distributed Monday.
According to him, at the time when Germany was negotiating with Russia on gas supplies, "we warned your politicians that it was dangerous. We said sanctions were needed so this war wouldn't start."
"Germans! You have power, Europe has power more powerful than any missiles, more powerful than tanks. Without trade with your banks and companies, Russia will not have the funds for this war," Zelensky said.
Noting that Kyiv had previously been called the "new Berlin". Zelensky said that "now Kyiv has gone silent, waiting for a new air siren," turning on a recording of the air-raid siren on his phone. "We are at war against jet artillery, against planes and helicopters, on which the Russians are already writing 'To Berlin,' because they want to go further than Ukraine, they want to go everywhere, they want to come to you!" the president said.
"I believe that peace is possible, but you must act to come to peace. To make our streets as safe again as yours," Zelensky said.
