Volodymyr Zelensky’s aides have hit back at Joe Biden’s remarks that the Ukrainian president “didn't want to hear it” when US intelligence alerted him that Russia was preparing an invasion and had called it “absurd”.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak criticised Mr Biden for putting the blame on Ukraine while Mr Zelensky’s spokesperson Sergei Nikiforov said the remark “probably needs to be clarified” as it was their partners who had paid no heed to Ukraine’s concerns.
Mr Nikiforov told Russian-language Ukrainian news outlet Liga that Mr Zelensky had “three or four telephone conversations” with Mr Biden before the war started, during which they exchanged “detailed” assessments of the situation.
