Zelensky accuses NATO of abandoning Ukraine in the confrontation with Moscow: "We were left alone."

RT Accusing the West of abandoning Ukraine to confront Moscow alone, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that he is not afraid to negotiate an end to the Russian "invasion," but needs security guarantees to do so.

Speaking in the early hours of the morning in Kyiv, Zelensky said he had sought out "partners" in the West to tell them that Ukraine's fate was at stake.

"I asked them – are you with us?" said Zelensky. "They replied that they are with us, but they don't want to bring us into the alliance. I asked 27 European leaders if Ukraine will be in NATO, I asked them directly – they are all afraid and didn't answer."

“We have been left alone. Who is ready to go to war for us? Honestly, I don’t see anyone. Who is willing to give Ukraine guarantees of NATO membership? Honestly, everyone is afraid,” added the Ukrainian president.

Russia sent troops into Ukraine on Thursday, with President Vladimir Putin declaring a special military operation to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine. Moscow has since told Kyiv it would consider negotiating with the Zelensky government if it agrees to discuss the country's neutral status, among other things.

In a speech on Friday, Zelensky said he is open to discussing Ukraine's potential neutral status, but insisted his country needs guarantees from third parties.

“We are not afraid of Russia, we are not afraid to talk to Russia, to talk about everything: security guarantees for our country and a neutral status. But we are not in NATO now – what security guarantees will we have? Which countries will give them?” he said, before adding that there must be negotiations that can put an end to the Russian military offensive.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that "neutral status and refusal to host [offensive] weapons systems" are Putin's "red lines" for Ukraine and that the ball was now in Kiev's court.