On the anniversary of the worst war in Europe since World War II, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed on Friday to do everything in his power to defeat Russia this year as the first Western tanks entered Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited Kiev to provide a “concrete and measurable indication of continued support” as German-made Leopard tanks from Warsaw arrived in Ukraine.
Morawiecki promised to send more Polish tanks shortly and offered to teach Ukrainian pilots how to fly F16s as the West reaffirmed its unshakable support.
The United States tightened its sanctions against Russia, this time focusing on its banks, defence sector, and semiconductor access.
Russia remained defiant, with former president Dmitry Medvedev insisting that his country was ready to push its offensive “to the borders of Poland”.
Moreover, tensions were rising along Ukraine’s border with Moldova. Moscow has pledged to reply, alleging that Kiev is preparing to invade the Transnistria breakaway area. Moldova rejected any Ukrainian threat.
Zelenskyy vowed to do everything in his power to drive out the invaders in the upcoming months as the battle reached its second year.
“We endured. We were not defeated. And we will do everything to gain victory this year,” Zelenskyy said in a statement.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said his army was gearing up for a counteroffensive.
“We are working hard to prepare and secure it,” he said.
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Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, shocked the world one year ago today by moving troops across the border in retaliation for Kyiv’s shift to the West.
Large portions of Ukraine have been destroyed, millions have been displaced, Russia has become despised in the West, and more than 150,000 people have died in the conflict, according to sources in the West.
Across Europe, demonstrations against Moscow’s actions were scheduled for the anniversary of the invasion.
A Russian tank that had been bombed out was set up in front of the Russian embassy in Berlin by protestors.
From Tallinn to London, large crowds stopped talking for a moment as the Ukrainian flag’s blue and yellow colours were draped or lit up on prominent structures.
Russian forces attempted to quickly impose a pro-Moscow administration in Ukraine a year ago, but they were unable to seize Kyiv and went on to lose in the country’s northeast and south.
Russia has been hammering Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since October, resulting in power outages that have left millions of people in the cold and in the dark.
About one in five respondents in a recent Ukrainian survey indicated they had lost a loved one in battle. But despite these struggles, Ukrainians claimed they would not be intimidated.
Galyna Gamulets, 64, described being shot at by Russian troops in Bucha, where Russia has been charged with mass atrocities, for “more than two weeks.”
She expressed pride in her country and promised to successfully fend off the invaders.
“Thanks to aid from Western countries, we will win because our spirit is strong, said Yuriy Lototskyi, a 60-year-old electrician, also from Bucha.
“We just need help with the weapons”.
