U.S. President Joe Biden's remarks, stating that "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not want to hear" the U.S. warnings about the impending Russian action, have caused discontent among Ukrainian officials. Biden claimed he was "right" about Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans to launch a military attack on Ukraine before the war began on February 24.
During a fundraising event for the Democratic Party in Los Angeles, Biden mentioned, “Many people thought I was exaggerating” when he spoke about a Russian attack on Ukraine before it occurred. He continued, “But I knew we had data that had to be maintained. Putin was going to go to the border. There was no doubt.” Biden also remarked that Zelensky "did not want to hear" U.S. warnings, nor did many others.
In response to Biden's statements, the spokesman for the Ukrainian presidency, Sergey Nikiforov, told the Ukrainian news site "Liga" that Biden's phrase “did not want to hear” may need clarification. Nikiforov noted that Zelensky and Biden held several phone conversations before the Russian operation, during which the two leaders discussed the threat posed by Russia. He added that "Zelensky requested preventive sanctions in anticipation of the Russian attack and expressed hope that Ukraine's allies would help compel Russia to de-escalate and withdraw its troops."
Nikiforov concluded, “We can say in our case that our partners are the ones who did not want to hear us,” according to “Business Insider.” Additionally, Mykhailo Podolyak, a presidential advisor in Ukraine, stated that Biden's words “are not entirely accurate. Ukraine was preparing for hostile scenarios from Russia, including the expansion into our territories.”
