Ukraine is 'longing for peace', says its president

Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned what he saw as "a policy of appeasement" towards Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs documents recognising two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent. AFP

A Ukrainian soldier walks past fragments of a mortar shell amid fighting near the front line in Travneve, Donetsk region. Reuters

People wave Russian flags while celebrating Moscow's recognition of the self-proclaimed republic's independence, in Donetsk. AP

Protesters gather at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in Kiev, calling on the EU to impose additional sanctions against Russia. Getty Images

Members of the security forces walk in an underpass at a railway station in Kiev. Getty Images

A Ukrainian soldier on the front line near the village of Travneve, in Donetsk. Reuters

Alisa, 38, a media relations specialist, takes part in a combat skills training for civilians near Kiev. Reuters

Alisa poses with a gun at her home near Kiev. Reuters

A young girl takes part in a rally in defence of 'Ukraine, Europe and democratic values', organised by the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal, outside the Russian Consulate in Porto, Portugal. EPA

A Ukrainian soldier takes time out to play with dogs on the front line near the city of Novoluhanske, in Donetsk. Reuters

People gather under the Ukrainian flag for a Day of Solidarity with Ukraine at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. AFP

Residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic cross from Ukraine into Russia, after it was announced that women and children would be led to the Rostov region due to rising tension in the area. EPA

After the evacuation of separatist-controlled regions of eastern Ukraine, people complete documents in a temporary accommodation centre in Rostov, Russia. Reuters

War veterans and volunteers train civilians in handling weapons on one of Kiev's city beaches. AFP

Russian and Belarusian helicopters taking part in a joint military exercise of the allied countries’ armed forces. EPA

Ukrainian National Guard soldiers at a mobile checkpoint together with the Ukrainian Security Service agents and police officers during a joint operation in Kharkiv, Ukraine. AP

US President Joe Biden delivers a national update on the situation at the Russia-Ukraine border at the White House in Washington, DC. AFP

A Polish soldier uses his phone, as US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak visit the Air Base in Powidz, Poland. Reuters

Mr Austin, left, addresses US troops stationed at the Powidz Air Base in Poland. AP Photo

A woman walks to board a bus, arranged to evacuate local residents, in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine. Reuters

A satellite image shows an overview of helicopter deployments near Lake Donuzlav in Crimea, Ukraine. Reuters

A Ukrainian Military Forces serviceman looks through a spyglass on the front line with Russia-backed separatists not far from Novolugansk in the Donetsk region. AFP

A serviceman keeps position on the front line. AFP

A Ukrainian frontier guard patrols along the border with Russia, some 40km from the city of Kharkiv. AFP

US President Joe Biden speaks to the media about Russia's buildup on the Ukrainian border as he leaves the White House in Washington. EPA

A Ukrainian frontier guard stands at a check point. AFP

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio enter a hall during a meeting in Moscow. Reuters

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses the United Nations Security Council. AP Photo

An elderly lady walks by as members of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination survey damage to a house from artillery shell that landed in Vrubivka, eastern Ukraine. AP Photo

French President Emmanuel Macron arrives for an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine at the European Council building in Brussels. AP Photo

A local resident boards a train at a suburban area of Kiev. Reuters

A woman stands among debris after the reported shelling of a nursery in the settlement of Stanytsia Luhanska, Ukraine. AFP

A protester shouts slogans during a demonstration outside the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev against high government taxes. AFP

A member of the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army rests ahead of deployment to Poland from Fort Bragg in the US. AP Photo

Members of the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army clean weaponry ahead of deployment to Poland. AP Photo

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Ukraine is “longing for peace,” its president said, as the Ukrainian military said two soldiers were killed and four wounded in shelling by pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the rules governing global security as “obsolete” and condemned what he saw as “a policy of appeasement” towards Moscow.

“For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield. For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world,” Mr Zelenskiy told the Munich Security Conference, where he travelled to speak in person despite the tensions in the east of his country.

Asking how the “biggest security crisis since the end of the Cold War” had happened, Mr Zelenskiy said: “To me this answer is obvious. The security architecture of our world is brittle, it is obsolete. The rules that have been agreed upon by the world dozens of years ago are no longer working.

“They are neither catching up with new threats nor being effective in overcoming them – just like cough syrup instead of a good Covid vaccine,” he said.

He demanded “clear, feasible time frames” for Ukraine to join Nato, and said his country would defend itself with or without international support.

“We are told the doors are open. But so far, the strangers are not allowed. If not all the members are willing to see us there or all members don't want to see us there, be honest about it. Open doors are good, but we need open answers.”

The US said that Russia has as many as 190,000 soldiers on its border with Ukraine, leading to fears in many western capitals that an invasion is imminent.

Moscow issued a series of security demands to Nato, many of which were rejected out of hand, while diplomatic efforts to calm tensions made little progress. One of the most controversial demands is a block on Ukraine joining Nato.

Russia denies it is planning to invade Ukraine and accuses Nato of provocation.

Mr Zelenskiy, who received a standing ovation as he prepared to start his speech in Munich, said he was willing to meet Vladimir Putin, to find out “what the Russian president wants".

He thanked the countries who had given military hardware to Ukraine, but added: “Everyone needs to understand that this is not some kind of donation Ukraine should be reminding or begging for.

“This is not just a broad gesture that Ukraine should be bowing down for. This is your contribution into the European and international security for which Ukraine has been serving as a shield for eight years now, a reliable shield, holding back one of the largest armies in the world. That same army which is now poised on the Ukrainian – not EU member states – borders.”

Mr Zelenskiy said reports that Ukraine has been shelling regions controlled by Moscow-backed separatists and inside the Russian border are "pure lies".