President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the four-year anniversary of the Ukraine war on Tuesday by accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of failing to achieve his goals, and reaffirming Ukraine's commitment to securing a lasting peace.
In a video address featuring footage of Ukrainians resisting Russian soldiers in the opening days of the conflict, Zelensky declared: "Putin has not achieved his goals. He did not break the Ukrainians. He did not win this war. We have preserved Ukraine, and we will do everything to achieve peace, and to ensure there is justice." He added: "We want peace. Strong, dignified, and lasting peace," stressing that any agreement "must not simply be signed, it must be accepted by Ukrainians."
The leaders of several Ukrainian allies were present in the country on Tuesday to mark the occasion, including Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was also in Kyiv, reaffirming Europe's commitment to Ukraine.
"And to send a clear message to the Ukrainian people and to the aggressor alike: we will not relent until peace is restored. Peace on Ukraine's terms," von der Leyen said in a video posted to social media. She was expected to attend a commemoration ceremony, visit a Ukrainian energy facility damaged by Russian strikes, meet Zelensky, and take part in a videoconference with Kyiv's allies including Britain, France and Germany.
While the United States has been pushing for an end to the conflict, Moscow and Kyiv remain deeply divided over territory. Russia, which currently occupies around 20 percent of Ukraine, is demanding full control of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region as part of any peace deal, and has threatened to take it by force if Kyiv does not concede at the negotiating table.
Ukraine has firmly rejected this demand, insisting it will not sign any agreement without security guarantees from allies, including the United States, to deter Russia from invading again. Russia has also rejected Ukrainian proposals for the deployment of European troops in Ukraine following any ceasefire deal.
In recent months, Moscow has escalated its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, cutting heating and power to millions of Ukrainians throughout winter. Despite heavy losses, Russian troops have made slow advances along the front line, particularly in the eastern Donbas region, which Moscow seeks to annex.
President Putin has repeatedly warned that he will pursue his objectives by force if diplomacy fails. During a medal ceremony on Monday to mark Defenders of the Fatherland Day, Putin said his soldiers were defending Russia's borders to ensure strategic parity between powers and fight for the country's future.
Hundreds of thousands have died since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, unleashing the deadliest conflict on European soil since World War II. Talks between the two sides, relaunched last year by the United States, have so far failed to halt the fighting. The war has devastated Ukraine, which even before the conflict was one of the poorest countries in Europe. The cost of post-war reconstruction is estimated at around $588 billion over the next decade, according to a joint report by the World Bank, the EU and the UN, published on Monday.
Russia has cast its decision to send troops into Ukraine as a defensive move to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, considers the war a resurgence of Russian imperialism aimed at subjugating the Ukrainian people. Ahead of the anniversary, Zelensky told AFP that Ukraine was not losing the war and urged European countries to deploy troops directly on the front line in the event of any ceasefire, as a deterrent against further Russian aggression.
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