Ukraine Selenskyj: Putin has not achieved his goals
On the anniversary of the Russian attack on his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky looked back on four years of war.
24.02.2026, 09:41
SDA
"When we remember the beginning of the invasion and look at the situation today, we can rightly say: we have defended our independence, we have not lost our statehood," said the head of state in a video message. Ukraine does not only exist on the map. "(Kremlin leader Vladimir) Putin has not achieved his goals. He has not broken the Ukrainians. He has not won this war."
Referring to the ongoing peace talks, he emphasized: "There is no doubt that we all want this war to end, but no one will allow Ukraine to cease to exist." Everything is being done to ensure that the years of war were not in vain. "All the struggle, the courage, the dignity, everything that Ukraine has gone through must not be devalued," said Selensky.
Struggling for a peace agreement
In the US-brokered negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, "every word, every point" is being fought for. "The agreement must not simply be signed, but must be accepted - accepted by the Ukrainians," the head of state emphasized. It is about real security guarantees for the Eastern European country and a strong agreement.
In three rounds of talks so far, Ukrainian and Russian delegations have negotiated an end to the war in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) and Geneva (Switzerland). Russia is insisting on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk that are still held. Kiev categorically rejects this.
