Ukraine's final hours before invasion: Secrets unveiled
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba revealed what the last hours looked like just before the start of the Russian invasion. During the conference in Munich from February 18–20, 2022, Western leaders reportedly asked Volodymyr Zelensky to record a "video testament."
Ukrainian TV network TSN released a film titled "USA-UA. Secret White House Files," which presented declassified documents and previously unknown details of negotiations between Ukrainian and American politicians. Author Olha Koshelenko examined top-secret American documents.
Moments before the war
In early October 2021, the United States reportedly learned that Russia was preparing for a full-scale war with Ukraine. At that time, Joe Biden was said to have informed Ukraine as well as Western leaders. However, in Europe, it was predicted that the greatest escalation of the conflict would occur in eastern Ukraine.
Former Foreign Minister Kuleba shared in the documentary "USA-UA. Secret White House Files" that Americans spoke daily of a potential war in Ukraine, but when asked for evidence, they would only respond that it was classified. Meanwhile, Berlin and Paris reassured that there was no cause for concern, suggesting that conflict with Russia wasn’t imminent and that everything would remain stable.
John R. Bolton, former U.S. National Security Advisor, stated that American intelligence provided briefings in closed sessions of the House of Representatives and Senate. He claimed that offices were informed that "Kyiv would fall in a matter of days, and the country would fall in a matter of weeks."
Kiev had already requested the delivery of weapons and the imposition of preventive sanctions against Russia. Both requests were answered with "no." Kuleba recounted a warning from an American official, who expressed concerns about the situation, comparing it to Afghanistan. The official pointed out that weapons and other resources had been left in the hands of the Taliban after their takeover, and asked if they wanted to risk a similar outcome in Ukraine.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, during the conference in Munich, advised Zelensky to be prepared for the possible establishment of a government-in-exile and to begin looking for military solutions that would enable Ukraine to conduct guerrilla warfare. This was reported by journalist Simon Shuster.
"One person, a great friend of Ukraine, sent me a message, and when I said that I was returning, he said: ‘Then Zelensky needs to record a video testament – just in case, let it lie there,'' - confessed Kuleba.
Outbreak of war
On the night of February 23, Zelensky, along with his family, was at his home near Kiev. His wife learned about the war's start when she heard the sounds of explosions nearby. At that moment, Zelensky reportedly said, "The worst" has begun.
The President of Ukraine was said to have called Biden, pleading with him to do everything possible to prevent it. Zelensky also reportedly asked the U.S. President to call Putin and tell him to stop what he was doing.
