Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday that his country “will do everything to achieve victory this year,” while his defense minister announced preparations for a counterattack against Russia, which started the war on Ukraine a year ago.
At the end of a speech to the nation he delivered on the occasion of the one year anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion of his country in a video posted on social media, Zelensky said: “We will do everything to achieve victory this year,” adding: “We are strong. We are ready for everything. We will be victorious over everyone. Because we are strong.” Ukraine!”
On the other hand, the former Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, also announced that Moscow will “win” in Ukraine, stressing that his country is ready to move to the borders of Poland.
“Russia must lose in Ukraine,” Zelensky said. “Russian revanchism must forget forever about Kiev and Vilnius, about Chisinau and Warsaw, about our brothers in Latvia and Estonia, in Georgia and every other country now threatened.”
As for the Ukrainian Defense Minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, he said that his country is preparing a counter-attack against the Russian army. “We will launch stronger and farther strikes, in the air, on land, at sea and in cyberspace. There will be a counterattack. We are working hard to prepare for it,” Reznikov wrote on Facebook.
In the video, Zelensky appeared sitting behind a desk wearing a dark blue shirt with the emblem of Ukraine, as a number of Ukrainian cities witnessed atrocities attributed to the Russian forces or symbolizing the occupation or resistance to the occupier.
resilience capitals
“The world saw what Ukraine can do. These are the new heroes. Defenders of Kiev, defenders of Azovstal. New feats accomplished by entire cities. Kharkiv, Chernigov, Mariupol, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Gostomel, Volnovakha, Bucha, Irpin, Okhtyrka. Cities,” he said. Heroine, Capitals of Resilience.
And he added, in the speech that lasted a quarter of an hour, to be held at a press conference later Friday in Kiev, “We will never forgive. We will not be complacent as long as the Russian murderers are not punished. By the International Tribunal, by divine justice, or by the hands of our soldiers.”
Global solidarity with Ukraine
On Friday, the White House announced the tightening of sanctions against Russia aimed at hitting its economy and limiting its access to sensitive technologies such as semiconductors.
And the United Nations General Assembly, in a resolution that won a wide majority Thursday, demanded the “immediate” withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine, and called for a “just and lasting” peace on the eve of the first anniversary of the invasion.
However, out of a total of 193 member states of the United Nations, the non-binding resolution received the support of 141 countries against the objection of seven countries (Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea, Mali, Nicaragua and Eritrea), while 32 countries abstained from voting, including China and India.
For its part, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) confirmed on Friday that it was “determined to help Ukraine” to confront the Russian invasion, considering that Moscow “was unable to break the resolve of the Ukrainian people.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Ukraine will “certainly win” in the conflict with Moscow, despite “a dark year of despair and destruction” since the start of the Russian invasion of this country.
Also, the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, announced that the Group of Seven will call during a virtual summit on Friday to refrain from sending any military aid to Russia.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron declared his country’s “solidarity” with the Ukrainians, calling for their “victory” and for “peace”.
In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, in a video message on Friday, that (Russian President) Vladimir Putin “will not achieve his imperial goals” in this country.
But German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday expressed his “skepticism” that China could play a “constructive role” for peace in Ukraine, after Beijing published a 12-point document containing its proposal for a “peaceful settlement” to the conflict.
On the other hand, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki came to Kiev on Friday to send a “clear” signal of support for Ukraine.
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was lit up Thursday night in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. In London, a minute of silence will be held in the presence of deputies and diplomats, before a march to the Russian embassy.
losses and fierce resistance
Ukraine entered its second year of war against Russian forces on Friday, the first anniversary of the invasion, against which it put up fierce resistance and won the West’s help in unexpected setbacks for Putin.
And the Russian forces began the process of invading Ukrainian lands in the early hours of the morning of February 24, 2022, to begin the worst conflict in Europe since World War II.
A year after the invasion, Ukrainian cities were reduced to rubble, while part of the country was under Russian occupation, and more than 150,000 people were killed or wounded on both sides, according to Western estimates.
But the Ukrainian army forced the Russian troops to abandon the conquest of Kiev in the spring, and then, in the summer and autumn, push them to the northeast and south. Since then, stability has prevailed on the front line, but both sides are preparing for new attacks.
In addition to Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, Russia claims four other regions in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Putin attacks the West
For his part, Vladimir Putin attacked Westerners this week, accusing them of waging a proxy war to “eliminate” Russia.
And the Russian President said Wednesday, in a brief speech during a major national festival at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, that Russia is currently fighting in Ukraine for its “historic lands.”
Despite the difficulties on the front, losses and military mobilization, the memory of the outbreak of the war may not cause major negative reactions in Russia, where any criticism of the army is suppressed and opponents are imprisoned or exiled.
Russia still hopes to occupy four partially occupied areas that it demands to be annexed and where the fighting is concentrated, especially around the city of Bakhmut, which is still steadfast despite the recent Russian advances.
And the head of the Russian Wagner Group announced on Friday that his forces had taken control of the Ukrainian town of Berkhivka, in northern Bakhmut.
“We will achieve victory. We all want this to happen as quickly as possible. And this day will come,” Medvedev, the number two official in the Russian Security Council, wrote on the Telegram application on Friday.
He stressed that the borders of threats to our country must be pushed as far as possible, even if it is the borders of Poland, which borders Ukraine.
A year ago, the West adopted a set of sanctions against Moscow, targeting its revenues from gas and oil, its banking sector, and the aviation and defense industries. It also provided more than 128 billion euros in aid to Ukraine, according to the Keil Institute for the World Economy.
