by President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the important role of global media in boosting international support for Ukraine as he met with representatives of Fox News and The Sun, including Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch.
He met Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall and The Sun reporter Jerome Starkey in his office in Kiev and thanked them for their “comprehensive coverage” of the war, including shining a light on “Russian atrocities” despite the personal risks, he said. official website of the president in a statement.
He also told the Sun how he has survived at least five assassination attempts by Russian President Vladimir Putin, likening his reaction to the attempts to be “just like Covid”.
The first one is very interesting, when it's the first time, and then it's just like Covid
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky
He told the paper: “The first one is very interesting, when it's the first time, and then it's just like Covid.
“First of all people don't know what to do with it and it looks very scary.
“And after that, it's just to share with you details that yet another group came to Ukraine to (attempt) something like this.”
But he could not tell the newspaper how many plots he had survived.
The Sun also reported after the meeting that Zelensky accused the Kremlin of helping Hamas launch attacks on Israel in October and that the Ukraine-Russia conflict could escalate into a third world war.
He also said that Ukraine needs more Western aid and weapons.
According to his website, Mr Zelensky thanked journalists around the world for their support.
“All this time, journalists, cameramen, editors, photographers, drivers were on the front lines,” he said.
“As this is a hybrid war, information is also a weapon in Russia's hands.
It will not end as quickly as we would like, but we have no right to give up and we will not give up
Volodymyr Zelensky
“My sincere condolences to the families and friends of these very brave men and women who lost their lives trying to show what is happening in Ukraine.
“In particular, thanks to journalists from many countries we now have such support in the world.”
He also stressed the importance of keeping the world's attention on the conflict at a time when it is “clouded by other events”.
“For some reason, people treat it like a movie and expect that there won't be long pauses in events, that the picture in front of their eyes will always change, that there will be some surprises every day,” he said.
“But for us, for our warriors, this is not a movie. These are our lives. This is hard work every day. And it won't end as quickly as we would like, but we have no right to give up and we won't.”
Mr Zelensky awarded Hall the Order of Merit, third class, after he was captured in a bombing raid while reporting on the war in March 2022, which left him with burns “all over”, half a leg and his legs and suffer damage to one eye.
Mr Murdoch, son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, was appointed chairman of both Fox and News Corp in September.
