Volodymyr Zelensky made the statement at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Meeting reporters during a surprise visit to Finland, the newest member of NATO, Zelensky said his country was focused on fighting off the Russian invasion and defending its own territory.
'We don't attack Putin or Moscow, we defend our territory': Ukraine's Zelensky
Ukraine’s president told reporters in Helsinki: “"We don't attack Putin, or Moscow, we fight on our territory, we are defending our villages and cities," as quoted by the US broadcaster CNN.
Asked why Russia had an interest in accusing Ukraine of trying to assassinate Putin, Zelensky replied: "It's very simple. Russia has no victories. He (Putin) can no longer motivate his society, and he can't just send his troops to their death anymore... now he needs to somehow motivate his people to go forward," as cited by the Reuters news agency.
Earlier in the day, Russia accused Ukraine of a failed attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack on the Kremlin citadel in central Moscow in the early hours of the morning, Reuters reported.
Russia called the drone attack a "planned act of terrorism" and "an assassination attempt on the President," adding that "the Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures where and when it deems necessary," according to news outlets.
Nordic countries back Ukraine to join NATO, EU
Zelensky visited Helsinki at the invitation of Finnish President Sauli Väinämö Niinistö, for a special Nordic-Ukrainian Summit, the PAP news agency reported.
During the get-together, a group of Nordic countries, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, voiced their support for Ukraine’s war effort against the Russian invasion and for Kyiv’s bid to become a member of NATO and the European Union, Britain’s The Guardian newspaper reported.
In a joint statement, Niinistö and the prime ministers of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland said: “The Nordic countries will continue their political, financial, humanitarian and military support for as long as it takes.”
‘Our goal is to have full membership in NATO’: Ukraine’s Zelensky
Meanwhile, Zelensky said he was certain the West would provide Ukraine with modern warplanes if Ukrainian forces were successful in an upcoming offensive on the battlefield, citing prior examples that had led to Ukraine being given new forms of military aid, according to Reuters.
Ukraine’s president stated: “"This is why I am sure we will soon have aircraft. Because we will soon conduct an offensive, and after it I am sure we will be given planes. I would rather it was the other way round, as it would be easier for us, but it is like it is, and we are grateful for everything."
Zelensky stressed: "We need them. Really need them."
He also reiterated his case for Ukraine to join the NATO alliance, which Finland joined last month as the 31st member in direct response to Russia's invasion, Reuters noted.
Ukraine’s president said: "We need security guarantees today, while we are not in NATO."
Zelenskiy added: “But in any case, our goal is to have full membership in the alliance. This is one of the reasons why I am here today. The second reason, or to be honest the priority, is strengthening our army."
Wednesday is day 434 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: PAP, Reuters, CNN, The Guardian