NATO Leaders Meet In Belgium, President Zelensky: We'll See Who's Friends, Who's Betrayed

Presiden Ukraina Volodymyr Zelensky. (Wikimedia Commons/President Of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr called for solidarity on Thursday, marking a month of the Russian invasion, saying he would observe a meeting of leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance.

As the humanitarian toll from the conflict continues to rise, driving a quarter of Ukraine's 44 million people from their homes, President Volodymyr Zelensky called on people around the world to take to the streets and demand an end to the war.

"Come from your offices, your homes, your schools, and universities, come in the name of peace, come with Ukrainian symbols to support Ukraine, to support freedom, to support life", he said in a video speech.

President Zelensky said he expected "serious steps" from Western allies. He repeated his call for a no-fly zone and complained the West was not providing Ukraine with planes, modern anti-missile systems, tanks, or anti-ship weapons.

"At these three summits we will see who are our friends, who are our partners, and who sold us and betrayed us", he said in a video Thursday morning.

US President Joe Biden has arrived in Brussels for NATO, G7, and European Union meetings on the conflict which began on February 24 and has caused more than 3.6 million refugees to flee the country.

President Biden's visit could also highlight disputes with European allies, some of whom rely heavily on Russian oil and gas, over whether to impose further energy sanctions.

The issue has been a 'substantial' topic and an 'intense back and forth' subject in recent days, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.

He said the United States plans to announce more sanctions against Russian politicians and oligarchs today, with officials to speak more on Friday about Europe's energy issues.

To note, President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Moscow plans to divert gas sales it makes to "unfriendly" countries using the ruble, causing European gas prices to soar on fears the move will exacerbate the region's energy crisis.