KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he discussed the weekend鈥檚 turmoil in Russia in phone calls with the leaders of the United States, Canada and Poland on Sunday, and that the 鈥渨eakness鈥� of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin had been 鈥渆xposed.鈥�
The phone calls took place after an extraordinary failed mutiny by Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin on Saturday that raised questions about Putin鈥檚 grip on power as Ukraine presses a counteroffensive in its south and east.
鈥淲e discussed the course of hostilities and the processes taking place in Russia. The world must put pressure on Russia until international order is restored,鈥� Zelensky said after a phone call with US President Joe Biden.
He said he and Biden had also discussed further expanding defense cooperation with an emphasis on long-range weapons, coordination ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius next month and preparations for a 鈥淕lobal Peace Summit鈥� he has promoted.
鈥淵esterday鈥檚 events exposed the weakness of Putin鈥檚 regime,鈥� the statement said.
In another similar statement, Zelensky said he had told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a phone call about the 鈥渢hreatening situation鈥� at Ukraine鈥檚 vast, Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Zelensky warned earlier this week that Russia was considering carrying out an act of 鈥渢errorism鈥� involving the release of radiation at the plant, an allegation denied by Russia.
鈥淯kraine鈥檚 partners must demonstrate a principled response, in particular at the NATO Summit in Vilnius,鈥� he said.
The Ukrainian leader made similar comments in a statement announcing a phone call with Polish President Andrzej Duda.