Russia ‘has not won’ as Ukraine war enters fifth year, Zelenskyy says

European leaders travel to Kyiv to mark the war’s fourth anniversary and pledge continued support for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has praised Ukrainians for withstanding four years of Russian attacks with “immense courage”, saying Moscow has failed to break their spirit or win the war it started.

Zelenskyy delivered the remarks on Tuesday in an address marking the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, as Ukraine endures punishing winter attacks on its energy grid and struggles to make progress in peace talks.

“We have every right to say: We have defended our independence. We have not lost our statehood,” Zelenskyy said. “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin has not achieved his goals. He has not broken Ukrainians. He has not won this war.”

In a show of support, more than a dozen senior European officials – including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and seven prime ministers – travelled to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, to mark the anniversary of the conflict.

The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, upended life for millions of Ukrainians and sparked far-reaching security concerns across Europe. The number of soldiers killed, wounded or missing on both sides could reach two million by spring, analysts say.