At the hoisting of the Ukrainian flag in the city of Kherson, President Volodymyr Zelensky sang the national anthem on Monday. Highlight and symbolic visit to this city liberated by Russian forces since Friday, after eight months of occupation. “It’s important to be here (…) so that people feel that these are not just words and promises, but that we are really coming back and really flying our flag”, Volodymyr Zelensky underlined in a short video posted on social media. The leader walked around in military attire, surrounded by heavily armed bodyguards, not wearing a helmet or flak jacket.
“Glory to Ukraine”
The arrival of the Ukrainian president was kept secret until the last moment. “Glory to Ukraine!”the residents shouted at him from their balconies. “Glory to the heroes! »the Head of State and those accompanying him replied as per tradition. “I’m really happy, you can tell by people’s reaction, their reaction is not staged”the president of Ukraine also said, according to comments reported by the Reuters agency.
Voloymyr Zelensky used this symbolic visit to discuss his state of mind regarding the ongoing war. According to him, Ukraine ” push forward “. “We are ready for peace, peace for our whole country”, launched in the main square of Kherson. Quoted in a press release by the Ukrainian presidency, the head of state was pleased to have resisted: “(Russia) has shown the world that it can kill. But all of us, our armed forces, our national guard and secret services have proved that it is impossible to kill Ukraine. »
The Kremlin is not giving up
For its part, the Kremlin continues to claim that the Ukrainian city belongs to Russia even though its forces are gone. “We will not comment, you are well aware that this is the territory of the Russian Federation”Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Indeed, for Vladimir Poutine, Kherson and the rest of its area are officially territories of Russia since the annexation referendums.
Read also – Trap or forced withdrawal: what should we understand from the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kherson?
Kherson had been the first major city to fall after the Russian invasion launched in late February. The forced withdrawal of troops from Moscow in the face of pressure from the Ukrainian counter-offensive was an affront to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, “The next few months will be difficult” for Ukraine. “We must not make the mistake of underestimating Russia” he said at a press conference in The Hague, believing it “Putin’s goal is to leave Ukraine cold and dark this winter.”
