The United States of America and Europe are weighing up plans for President Volodymyr Zelensky to escape Kyiv and establish the Ukrainian government in exile.
According to CNN, the US and European officials are in discussion on how the West would support a government-in-exile led by Zelensky should the President have to flee Kyiv, western officials tell CNN.
The discussions included how to help the Ukrainian leader and his aides and top government officials move to Lviv in western Ukraine.
Also, among other things, is the possibility that the Ukrainian President and his aides would be forced to flee the country entirely and establish a new government in neighbouring Poland
No decisions have been reached on this at the moment as the discussions are only preliminary.
The top U.S and European officials are said to have been wary of presenting this issue directly before Zelensky, who reportedly wants to stay in Kyiv and defend his country.
The President is said to so far turn down conversations that focus on anything other than boosting Ukraine in its fight against Russia, two western diplomats explained.
Also, there have also been discussions about sending one or two members of the Ukrainian government to an external location where a government could be set up in case the country’s capital city and Zelensky is unwilling or unable to escape.
“The Ukrainians have plans in place that I’m not going to talk about or get into any detail about to make sure that there is continuity of government one way or another, and I’m going to leave it at that,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS on Sunday.
