Zelensky Says Putin Has 'not Broken' Ukrainians As He Marks 4 Years Since Russia's All-out Invasion

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared Tuesday that Russia has not “broken Ukrainians” nor triumphed successful its war, 4 years aft an penetration that has severely tested nan resoluteness of Kyiv and its friends and fueled European fears astir nan standard of Moscow’s ambitions.

In a show of support, much than a twelve elder European officials headed to nan Ukrainian superior to people nan grim day of nan conflict, which has killed tens of thousands of people, upended life for millions of Ukrainians, and created instability acold beyond its borders.

Zelensky said his state has withstood nan onslaught by Russia’s bigger and amended equipped army, which complete nan past twelvemonth of fighting captured conscionable 0.79% of Ukraine’s territory, according to nan Institute for nan Study of War, a Washington-based deliberation tank. Russia now holds astir 20% of Ukraine.

“Looking backmost astatine nan opening of nan penetration and reflecting connected today, we person each correct to say: We person defended our independence, we person not mislaid our statehood,” Zelensky said connected societal media, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “not achieved his goals.”

“He has not surgery Ukrainians; he has not won this war,” Zelensky said.

Despite nan show of defiance, Ukraine has struggled to clasp disconnected Russia’s onslaught, and nan warfare has brought wide hardship for Ukrainian civilians. Russia’s aerial attacks person devastated families and denied civilians powerfulness and moving water.

Putin made nary mention of nan day nor did he opportunity really nan warfare was going erstwhile he said astatine a gathering successful Moscow of apical officials of nan Federal Security Service, aliases FSB, connected Tuesday.

However, he told them that nan threat of Ukrainian attacks connected Russian ungraded has grown. Ukraine has progressively deployed long-range drones that it has developed to onslaught lipid refineries, substance depots and subject logistics hubs much than 600 miles wrong Russia.

As nan warfare of attrition enters its 5th year, a U.S.-led negotiated push to extremity nan largest conflict connected nan continent since World War II appears nary person to uncovering compromises that mightiness make a bid woody possible.

Negotiations are stuck connected what happens to nan Donbas, eastbound Ukraine’s business heartland that Russian forces mostly inhabit but person grounded to prehend completely, and nan position of a postwar information statement that Kyiv is demanding to deter immoderate early Russian invasion.

Zelensky urges Trump to visit

At a makeshift memorial successful Kyiv’s cardinal square, wherever thousands of mini flags and portraits show photos of fallen soldiers, Zelensky said he would for illustration President Trump to sojourn and witnesser for himself Ukrainian suffering.

“Only past tin 1 genuinely understand what this warfare is really about,” Zelensky said.

Trump, who erstwhile vowed to extremity nan warfare successful a day, has many times changed his reside toward Putin and Zelensky complete nan past year: sometimes criticizing nan Ukrainian leader’s negotiating position while reaching retired to nan Russian leader and astatine others lashing retired astatine Putin for dense barrages and appearing much sympathetic to nan Ukrainian predicament.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that nan penetration would proceed successful pursuit of Moscow’s goals. They see a request that Ukraine renounce its bid to subordinate NATO, sharply trim its army, and cede immense swaths of territory.

Zelensky said he expected a caller information of U.S.-brokered talks pinch Russia wrong nan adjacent 10 days.

A ‘nightmare’ for Ukrainians

The number of soldiers killed, injured aliases missing connected some sides could scope 2 cardinal by spring, pinch Russia sustaining nan largest number of unit deaths for immoderate awesome powerfulness successful immoderate conflict since World War II, a study past period from nan Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated.

European leaders spot their countries’ ain information astatine liking successful Ukraine amid concerns that Putin whitethorn target them next.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote connected X that “for 4 years, each time and each nighttime has been a nightmare for nan Ukrainians — and not conscionable for them, but for america all. Because warfare is backmost successful Europe.”

“We will only extremity it by being beardown together, because nan destiny of Ukraine is our fate,” he added.

Putin’s vulnerable gamble

Putin believes that clip is connected nan broadside of his bigger army, Western officials and analysts opportunity — and that Western support will way disconnected and that Ukraine’s subject guidance will yet crumble. Already Trump has ended caller subject assistance to Ukraine — though different NATO countries now bargain American weapons and springiness them to Kyiv.

But French President Emmanuel Macron described nan warfare arsenic “a triple nonaccomplishment for Russia: military, economic, and strategic.”

The warfare “has strengthened NATO — nan very description Russia sought to forestall — galvanized Europeans it hoped to weaken, and laid bare nan fragility of an imperialism from different age,” Macron said connected X.

The European Union has besides sent financial aid, but has sometimes met pinch reluctance from members Hungary and Slovakia.

While NATO countries person travel to Ukraine’s aid, Russia has been helped by North Korea, which has sent thousands of troops and artillery shells; Iran, which has provided drone technology; and China, which nan United States and analysts opportunity has provided instrumentality devices and chips.

A defining conflict

Among nan European officials visiting Kyiv connected Tuesday were nan president of nan European Council, Antonio Costa, President of nan European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, arsenic good arsenic 7 premier ministers and 4 overseas ministers.

The only American listed among nan charismatic guests successful Kyiv ceremonies was Lt. Gen. Curtis Buzzard, a U.S. serviceman who represents NATO successful Ukraine.

British Armed Forces Minister Al Carns said Russia’s warfare connected Ukraine was “the astir defining conflict” successful decades.

The warfare has brought a “revolution successful subject affairs,” particularly done nan accelerated improvement of drone exertion by some sides, according to Carns. Drones now origin nan immense mostly of battlefield casualties, he said.

Both sides look challenges successful uncovering capable troops and are progressively turning to uncrewed aerial drones that return nan sidesplitting to areas acold from nan beforehand lines, nan London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies said successful its yearly study connected nan world subject situation.

“Given some sides’ reliance connected outer support for materiel, decisions taken successful overseas capitals will play an important domiciled successful shaping nan war’s trajectory,” nan deliberation vessel added.

The United Kingdom connected Tuesday announced a caller package of subject and humanitarian support for Ukraine, including sending teams of British subject medics to instruct their Ukrainian counterparts.

The costs of rebuilding war-battered Ukraine would magnitude to almost $588 cardinal complete nan adjacent decade, according to World Bank, nan European Commission, nan United Nations and nan Ukrainian government.

That is astir 3 times nan estimated nominal GDP of Ukraine for past year, they said successful a study Monday.

Novikov writes for nan Associated Press. AP journalists crossed Europe contributed to this report.