Moscow, April 17 ( /Sputnik) Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who recently expressed his alleged readiness to discuss the Crimean issue and Ukraine’s refusal to join NATO with Russia, actually wants to buy time by turning to NATO for military assistance, the chairman of the Russian parliament’s lower house, Vyacheslav Volodin, said on Sunday. Volodin recalled that Zelenskyy had said the same before the talks in Turkey, when Russian forces had almost reached Kiev. According to the Russian lawmaker, Moscow reduced its activity in the area, withdrew its troops, after which a staged provocation in Bucha took place and Kiev refused to honor its obligations. “Today, the same scenario is being proposed. The reason [for it] is obvious. He [Zelenskyy] wants to gain time while simultaneously turning to NATO for military assistance,” Volodin said on Telegram. Volodin noted that Ukrainian forces have already lost 23,367 people. In addition,1,464 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered during the liberation of Mariupol on Saturday. Volodin also stressed that Zelenskyy must withdraw Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics, recognize Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea and make a commitment not to join NATO if he really cares about Ukrainian citizens. On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian forces. Russia said that the aim of its operation is “demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.” /SPUTNIK GNK