KHARKIV, Ukraine — The situation in Ukraine is so dire that President Volodymyr Zelensky canceled a planned visit to Spain and headed straight to Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, which is once again in real danger due to Russian advances. I had to.
ABC News had exclusive access to Zelenskiy, who took him on a tour of the city’s hospitals, met with wounded soldiers defending the north and awarded them medals for bravery.
“It’s really important to me to be here,” he said as he walked down the hallway.
At each ward, he paused as officers read out the names of each wounded soldier. He approached each bed and awarded them a medal. However, this time it was a very urgent visit. The president’s safety is always a concern, but this visit to Kharkiv was a risky one, as the president’s team moved quickly through the building.
“The situation is very serious,” Zelenskiy said. “We cannot afford to lose Kharkov.”
Standing near the wounded soldiers, he could clearly see the direct impact that delays in U.S. aid were having on the war and the situation along the northeastern border. Hundreds of people have lost their lives or been injured in the past few days, he said. Many were soldiers from the area, so it was important for him to be there to support them, he said.
Is it America’s fault? We asked him what is happening now in Kharkov.
“It’s the world’s fault,” he replied. “They gave Putin the opportunity to occupy. But now the world will help.”
He has always been careful not to criticize the United States, but this was a slightly more outspoken Zelenskiy than we usually see.
I asked him how he felt after this week’s visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Top U.S. diplomats announced Wednesday an additional $2 billion in aid, on top of the $60 billion pledged in late April. Mr. Zelensky paused. I could feel his frustration.
“Dialogue is good,” he said. “But we need help now.”
So close to the intense fighting on the front lines, there is a sense that this visit was little more than a simple show of support.
“All we need is two Patriot systems,” he said. “If we have them, Russia will not be able to occupy Kharkov.”
I told him that many Americans are concerned about how much money is being spent in Ukraine. And this election year, it will be a hot topic for American voters.
“That money will not go to Ukraine,” he said. “It’s money spent in American factories, it’s creating American jobs…and we’re not just fighting for freedom. If it wasn’t Ukraine, it would be another country.”
After the President left, we returned to some of the soldiers he was visiting.
Maxim, who nearly died in Vovchansk on Wednesday, was held up by three giant metal pins, keeping his legs straight. They are the men defending Kharkov. He didn’t seem to care much about the medal.
“It’s an honor,” he told me. “But I would like to give this to the people who saved my life.”