US and European officials have discussed how the West would support a government-in-exile led by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if he had to flee Kiev, Western officials told CNN.
Discussions range from supporting Zelensky and top Ukrainian officials in a possible move to Lviv, in western Ukraine, to the possibility that Zelensky and his advisers will be forced to flee Ukraine and establish a new government in Poland, officials said. .
Discussions are only preliminary and no decision has been made, the sources said.
Western officials have also been wary of discussing a government-in-exile directly with Zelensky because he wants to stay in Kiev and has so far rejected talks that focus on anything other than pushing Ukraine forward in its fight against Russia, according to two Western diplomats. .
They added that there had been discussions about sending one or more members of Zelensky’s government to an offsite location where a government could be established if Kiev falls and Zelensky is unwilling or unable to leave.
“Ukrainians have plans that I won’t talk about or go into detail about to ensure there is continuity of government one way or another, and I’ll leave it at that,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. interview with CBS on Sunday (6).
US and European officials believed in the early days of the war that Zelensky’s move to Lviv might be feasible because it was unclear whether Russia would target western Ukraine. But now, given Russia’s dramatic escalation in recent days against civilian targets across Ukraine, they’re not so sure Russia will spare an inch of Ukrainian territory.
Photos – Russian war against Ukraine reaches 11th day
Source: CNN Brasil
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