Kyiv [Ukraine], February 6: A book published this month revealed some information about the train that took Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky out of the country in an emergency situation.
TIME magazine reporter Simon Shuster recently published the book "The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky" describing the conflict in Ukraine and related information.
Escape train
The book stated some little-known information about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a time when Russia had just begun its military campaign. Notably, the detail said that the Ukrainian security agency maintained an idling train in Kyiv so that Mr. Zelensky could quickly escape the city to ensure safety, Business Insider reported .
"In February 2022, in the early days of the Russian onslaught, the train-empty and ready to leave Kyiv Central Station at a moment's notice-was periodically inspected by security officers for any signs of damage. any threats," Mr. Shuster wrote.
According to journalist Shuster, then-Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that Russia was trying to make Mr. Zelensky panic and run away: "Russia's tactic is to push the president out of Kyiv. They are checking the spirit." our god".
A number of other lawmakers have left Kyiv, while many senior and mid-level officers of the Ukrainian Security Service SBU also intend to do so. The book also reveals that Mr. Zelensky's wife and children then left Kyiv on a private train, along with a security team and a suitcase.
"Don't leave"
In February 2022, many media predicted that President Zelensky would leave the country if the fighting situation became fierce. Previously, Mr. Viktor Yanukovych, Mr. Zelensky's predecessor, came to Russia when a wave of protests in support of the European Union (Euromaiden) overwhelmed Kyiv in 2014.
However, reality shows that nearly 2 years since the conflict broke out, Mr. Zelensky has still not stepped on the train, even though many people believe he will do so soon. The Ukrainian leader's decision not to leave the country has long been recognized as an initial turning point in the war with Russia.
According to the book, even within Mr. Zelensky's intelligence service it was unclear what approach he would take. Mr. Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, told Mr. Shuster: "That is a factor you can never calculate."
In the first days of fighting, the idea of Russian tanks entering the Ukrainian capital was very real. On February 25, Reuters reported that Kyiv was bombed from the air, with artillery sounds coming from the suburbs.
The danger is very serious. Mr. Shuster wrote that Kyiv was vulnerable to both ground and air attacks, and Mr. Zelensky was urged to move to bunkers on the edge of the city. Meanwhile, leaders in the West, including US President Joe Biden, have offered to help their Ukrainian counterparts establish a government abroad.
According to the book, one prominent proposal is to create conditions for Mr. Zelensky to run the country from eastern Poland. However, Mr. Shuster wrote that Mr. Zelensky refused and repeatedly redirected the discussions, focusing mainly on how the West could support Ukraine's defense.
As for domestically, Mr. Zelensky then gave a speech from his desk to reassure the people. One of the messages that attracted the strongest attention was released on February 25, 2022, when Mr. Zelensky shot a video with his phone recording himself and his closest aides still on Kyiv's Bankova Street. and said "We are all here, defending our independence and our country".
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
