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UKRANIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR Zelensky today defended his decision to agree to a hostage-taker’s demand that he post a film recommendation to end a 12-hour stand-off.
Zelensky described how he negotiated personally yesterday evening with a gunman who was holding 13 hostages on a bus in the western city of Lutsk.
“We have a result – everyone is alive. We are not fighting for (approval) ratings – we are fighting for life,” Zelensky said in a statement of his decision, as some criticised him for giving in to the gunman’s demands.
The SBU security service said all 13 hostages were released unharmed after a police stand-off with the man, who had threatened to detonate an explosive device.
The tense hostage situation ended after the president agreed to post a recommendation of a 2005 US documentary narrated by actor Joaquin Phoenix called Earthlings, which condemns humans’ mistreatment of animals.
Zelensky said he agreed with the hostage-taker, identified as 44-year-old Maksym Kryvosh, that “he would release three people, and after that I would record a video.”
‘This is a mistake’
The armed man complied and freed three hostages: a man, a pregnant woman and a child.
In response, the president posted a video message on Facebook and Kryvosh agreed to release all his captives half an hour later, Zelensky said.
The gunman is currently being held in a temporary detention centre, police reported.
The president later deleted the short video from his account.
The SBU security service classed the incident as an “act of terror” and “hostage-taking” and Kryvosh could face up to 15 years in prison.
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Am I losing the plot here? The president did the video and people were freed as a result and unharmed… So why should he have to defend himself for that… Surely he did good?
@Seán O’Loughlin: I know right? If he hadn’t and the guy started shooting people, he would have been held responsible.
@Seán O’Loughlin: like who is even questioning his decision ???
@Seán O’Loughlin: Yeah not sure what’s going on here, I feel like I skipped a paragraph or 2 of the article.
@Seán O’Loughlin: The rule not to negotiate with them is there to stop others doing so if they think they’ll get what they want. Not saying I agree just that’s why it’s there
@Optimus Prime: wonder what the video was… probably not assault on precinct 13 !
Great result, words are better than bullets.
Reminds me of that episode of “Black Mirror” where the Prime Minister had to comply with a kidnapper’s demand to do something. The episode was called “National Anthem”
@Diaspora’d: oink oink
@Big Smokey: Yep.. thats the episode.
Fair play to him. In other jurisdictions they would have stormed the bus maybe resulting in loss of life of the innocent
@Agrippa: Not too many jurisdictions where such an easy rather consequence free demand would not be seriously considered and carried out to potentially save over a dozen hostages and bring the incident to a conclusion.
Other means can always be considered as soon as the hostage taker(s) does not uphold their end of the bargain.
Sometimes you have to swallow your pride …..we’ve all been there (take a lesson here borris\donald …)
Hopefully lots of people around the world watch Earthlings & change their habits.
have your say