'Leave our territory': Zelenskyy defiant as he rejects calls for early peace talks
CBC
On the first anniversary of Russia's full-on invasion of his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to push for victory in 2023 as he tried to rally an increasingly exhausted but defiant nation.
His address to the armed forces and the nation on Friday noted that Russian leaders believed his country would fall within days of Moscow's advance.
"They threatened that in 72 hours, we would not exist," Zelenskyy said — without mentioning that some of Ukraine's allies made the same assessment at the time.
"But we survived the fourth day. And then the fifth. And today, we have been standing for exactly one year. And we still know — every tomorrow is worth fighting for."
CBC News has been on the ground covering Russia's invasion of Ukraine from the start. What do you want to know about their experience there? Send an email to ask@cbc.ca. Our reporters will be taking your questions.
Later, at a marathon news conference with the international media, Zelenskyy said a timeline for ending the war is achievable as long as "partners do their jobs too" — a reference to the slow pace of allies' delivery of advanced weapons, including heavy battle tanks.
On Friday, Canada announced it would be sending four additional Leopard 2 tanks, bringing the country's total contribution of heavy armour to eight tanks.
Zelenskyy was pressed several times during the three-hour exchange with journalists to explain the conditions under which Ukraine would talk to Russia about ending the war.
He was blunt, stating that there will be no negotiations with Russia until it has pulled its troops from Ukraine's territory and stopped its air bombardment.
"Everyone has seen that they killed and tortured people. They are not even trying to hide their attacks, they are talking about nuclear matters," he said. "Seeing this picture of the world, do you think Ukrainians can sit in this and negotiate?"
His message to Moscow was equally defiant.
"Our right to live in our land needs to be respected. Leave our territory and withdraw and stop killing civilians and stop air strikes, stop killing dogs, cats and animals," Zelenskyy said. "Only after that we will tell you what form diplomacy might take."
Zelenskky reacted cautiously to China's peace proposal, suggesting what he's seen publicly looks more like a statement than a basis for discussions.
"China spoke its mind. China has started to talk about Ukraine and that's a good thing," he said, adding he questions what actions might follow China's intervention.
