More than four years after Russia launched what it calls an invasion aimed at achieving its war goals, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used social media and a Kyiv memorial setting to argue that Russia has failed to break Ukrainian resolve or win the war. Zelenskyy said Ukraine has the right to say it defended its independence and “has not lost our statehood,” and he reiterated that President Vladimir Putin has “not achieved his goals.”
Zelenskyy’s remarks came Tuesday as senior European officials traveled to Kyiv for anniversary events, part of a show of support for Ukraine amid what European governments have described as fears about the scale of Moscow’s ambitions. The AP report described the events as marking a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people, disrupted life for millions of Ukrainians, and created instability beyond Ukraine’s borders.
Zelenskyy said Russia’s larger, better-equipped army has not delivered the territorial results Moscow sought. He cited figures from the Institute for the Study of War and said that over the past year of fighting Russia captured just 0.79% of Ukraine’s territory, while Russia now holds nearly 20%.
Zelenskyy also made a direct assessment of the war’s outcome, saying, “He has not broken Ukrainians; he has not won this war.” In the AP account, he framed the anniversary as a moment to look both to the beginning of the invasion and to the present conditions, with Ukraine emphasizing endurance rather than claiming a decisive end is near.
In Moscow, Putin did not mention the anniversary during remarks to senior FSB officials on Tuesday, according to the AP report. The AP account said Putin told the officials that the threat of Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil has grown, pointing to Ukraine’s increased use of long-range drones developed to strike targets more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) inside Russia, including oil refineries, fuel depots and military logistics hubs.
UN seeks ceasefire as talks remain stuck
The AP report said the war’s “attrition” phase is entering its fifth year and that a U.S.-led diplomatic push appears no closer to a peace deal. Negotiations were described as stalled over issues including what happens in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where Russian forces occupy much of the industrial heartland but have failed to completely seize it, and the terms of a postwar security arrangement that Kyiv is seeking in order to deter future Russian invasion.
In a vote in the 193-member General Assembly, the UN called for an immediate ceasefire and a comprehensive peace in Ukraine. The AP report said the assembly rejected a U.S. attempt to remove language emphasizing Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; the original wording passed 107-12, with the United States among 51 countries abstaining. U.S. Deputy Ambassador Tammy Bruce told the assembly the United States supports an immediate ceasefire but opposed the sovereignty-and-territory language because it would “distract” from peace talks.
Zelenskyy urges Trump visit and discusses expected talks
At the makeshift memorial in Kyiv’s central square, where thousands of small flags and portraits are displayed for fallen soldiers, Zelenskyy told the AP account he would like Trump to visit and witness Ukrainian suffering. “Only then can one truly understand what this war is really about,” Zelenskyy said, according to the AP report.
The AP report also said Zelenskyy was asked how the war has changed him after four years; he responded, “I don’t have time for friends or friendships.” The story described Trump’s previous pledge to end the war in a day and his shifting tone over the past year, alternating between criticizing Zelenskyy’s negotiating position and reaching out to Putin, and at other times lashing out at Putin for heavy barrages while appearing more sympathetic to Ukraine’s predicament.
The AP report said Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told officials the invasion would continue in pursuit of Moscow’s goals. Those goals, as described by the AP account, include a demand that Ukraine renounce its bid to join NATO, sharply cut its army, and cede vast swaths of territory. Zelenskyy said he expected a fresh round of U.S.-brokered talks with Russia within the next 10 days.
European leaders press security case, cite drone-driven battlefield change
In describing the broader context for European officials, the AP report cited assessments that casualties may rise dramatically as the war grinds on. It said the number of soldiers killed, injured or missing on both sides could reach 2 million by spring, citing a report last month from the Center for Strategic and International Studies that forecast Russia sustaining the largest number of troop deaths among major powers since World War II.
European leaders also have increasingly described their own security as tied to events in Ukraine. The AP report highlighted comments from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, writing on X that “for four years, every day and every night has been a nightmare for the Ukrainians — and not just for them, but for us all. Because war is back in Europe.” Merz also said, “We will only end it by being strong together, because the fate of Ukraine is our fate.”
The AP account also said NATO-backed officials visiting Kyiv included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, along with seven prime ministers and four foreign ministers. It said Zelenskyy later reported that von der Leyen assured him Ukraine would receive the first tranche of a 90 billion euro loan by the spring despite Hungary’s attempts to block it.
In remarks attributed to UK officials, the AP report said Armed Forces Minister Al Carns described the war as “the most defining conflict” in decades, driven in part by what he called a “revolution in military affairs,” especially in rapid drone development. The AP report said drones now cause the vast majority of battlefield casualties, and it cited the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London for noting that both sides face challenges in finding enough troops and are increasingly turning to unmanned aerial drones to strike far from front lines.
Ukraine says war rebuilding could cost $588 billion
The AP report concluded that European support for Ukraine continues alongside efforts to plan for long-term recovery. It said the cost of rebuilding war-battered Ukraine would amount to almost $588 billion over the next decade, citing a report Monday by the World Bank, the European Commission, the United Nations and the Ukrainian government.
Sources said Kremlin officials continued to frame the conflict around Moscow’s goals as the war entered its fifth year, while Zelenskyy and European leaders used the anniversary to underline resilience, security stakes, and the continued search for a ceasefire.