turn now to Newsy correspondent, Jason Bellini. H
been on the ground in Ukraine all morning long for us
In fact for the past few weeks. Jason Good morning t
you. I hope that you were able to listen in to what the
Ukrainian President had to say. We'd love to get your
thoughts um you know, as to all all of this and also as
to maybe what the reaction has been, not just with this
speech to americans, but truly, the Ukrainian president
has really been looking to the Western world for
support through, you know, for the past few weeks. Yeah,
indeed. He has. And these speeches, I think the people
here since I get is that they're very proud of thei
president and he's echoing the sentiments that they
feel and the overriding sentiment is that they're tired
of the rest of the world expressing sympathy but n
doing enough. You need to do more. And so in this
speech we heard President Zelensky offers some very
concrete proposals, concrete asks from the United
States, the one thing he wants all U.S. Companies out
of Russia. He made that case. He also said that he
wants for missile defense systems. And we expected him
to talk about that because that's where they're re
at a disadvantage right now. They mentioned
specifically the the S 300 this is a Russian anti
aircraft system that they want to get it. They can't
get it directly from the U.S. But the U.S. Could help
expedite that if it were to be able to that and there
are discussions we understand within the administr
on that and they want this one in particular because
it's one that their folks would know how to use. I e.
Zelensky knows what the red lines are in the United
States. He knows that the U.S. Itself isn't going to
have its troops set foot on Ukrainian soil because of
the risks that that wouldn't entail in terms of getting
into a conflict with Russia between these two nuclea
superpowers. And this powerful speech also, I think
shows that he's he made his country may not have a
sophisticated weapon weaponry systems that the Russians
have, the quantity of weapons that the Russians have.
But the information war, that's where I think it's fair
to say he's winning and where he's on the where he's
been so effective and so aggressive on trying to get
the world to do more. He also called for new
international institutions, he ask for to join
NATO. And that's one of the topics that in discussions
right now in the in the meetings that are happening
between the Russians and Ukrain And one of the one
of the things that Ukrainians are appear to be willing
to give up for peace is the idea that they would join
NATO. Um but I'd say here in lviv what we've been
hearing is that they really do expect the world to step
up and do more and do it right now, because so many
lives are at stake and talk about those internatio
coalitions and these organizations institutions, as
called them that are supposed to protect us from war.
It was after the last time we saw this kind of fighting
in europe after World War Two that we established the U.N
In the interest of keeping the peace the world over.
And he said straight up that the U.N. Has failed. These
international coalitions that are supposed to protect
us from war have failed. Do people on the ground there
feel betrayed, feel let down by the United Nations, by
the United Nations. But I think more so by NATO and
they consider themselves here t be part of europe and
that's their aspiration. But also and you look around
me that there's a european lifestyle here. And so they
thought that their that their neighbors would be
willing to do more to help and that the United States
which has been such a key ally would be willing to do
more to help. And so they're appreciative as the
President said for the aid and for the weapons provided
thus far. But they just feel that this is what I hear
from everyone that is inadequate. And they also calle
for just about everyone. He talked to calls for a no
fly zone and that was something that Zelensky men
but he didn't focus on that because because he knows
that that is a bridge too far for the United States to
impose to be involved with a no fly zone and have
american fighter jets in the sky potentially getting
into dogfights with Russian one One of the things I
want to mention as far as the backdrop to what's going
on is that yes, it looks like everyone here is jus
sort of living their lives very normally, but they'r
reminders everywhere around me that this is a country
at war and you can see over my shoulder right here
there's men who are working right now to create
protection for a statue in front of city hall and we're
gonna see is walking here this morning, some sandbag
being filled because there isn't a lot of confidence
that this, that the that they will get help if they get
help quickly enough to prevent bombardment from the sk
where this country is just so vulnerable. Just an
incredible scene there on the ground, Jason, I'm glad
you pointed out what they're doing behind you because I
was gonna ask about that. It is an incredible thing to
see kids gathered there as they are putting up that
scaffolding around a treasured statute. They don't want
destruction in their cities and they're gonna do
whatever they can uh to to make sure that that doesn't
go that way. Just incredible to watch those little ones
standing there watching this happen preparation for war.
It says so much about the courage, the bravery, the
resolve at the end of the day of the Ukrainian people
you know, and we want to go and thank you jane Jason
Bellini. Please stand by reporting live today from LVIV
Ukraine, but.