Vladimir Putin has not damaged Ukraine, its chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Tuesday (February 24, 2026), because the Kremlin marked the beginning of the fifth 12 months of its invasion by vowing to maintain combating Europe’s bloodiest battle since World Battle II till it achieves its objectives.
Moscow had hoped to take Kyiv in days when it launched its invasion on February 24, 2022.
4 years later — with lots of of 1000’s useless, hundreds of thousands compelled to flee, a lot of japanese Ukraine destroyed, and U.S.-led peace talks nonetheless deadlocked over territory — it conceded that it has not achieved all it needs within the nation.
“The objectives have not been totally achieved but, which is why the navy operation continues,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed reporters in response to an AFP query.
Ukraine, in the meantime, was able to do “every thing” it may to safe peace, Mr. Zelenskyy stated in a video tackle that featured photographs of Ukrainians finishing up acts of resistance towards Russian troopers within the opening days of the battle.
However any settlement should not “betray” the value paid by Ukrainians all through the battle, he stated.
“Putin has not achieved his objectives. He didn’t break the Ukrainians. He didn’t win this battle. Now we have preserved Ukraine, and we are going to do every thing to realize peace — and to make sure there may be justice,” Mr. Zelenskyy stated.
“We wish peace. Robust, dignified, and lasting peace,” he stated, however any deal have to be “accepted by Ukrainians”.
“All the things Ukraine has gone via. It should not be surrendered, forgotten, or betrayed,” he added.
A number of European leaders, together with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, visited Kyiv on Tuesday (February 24, 2026) to mark the anniversary.
In an tackle to the EU Parliament and talking alongside visiting EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, Mr. Zelenskyy urged Brussels to speed up Kyiv’s admission to the bloc, or face “many years” of Russian makes an attempt to disrupt the method.
Talking in Moscow to brokers of his FSB safety service, Mr. Putin stated Ukraine has “not managed to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield” and was upping its behind-the-lines sabotage assaults.
‘Sirens and shrapnel’
Within the suburb of Irpin — the place the our bodies of lots of of civilians have been found in 2022 after it and the neighbouring suburb of Bucha have been occupied by Russian forces — locals informed AFP how the battle had utterly modified their lives, and the nation.
“Now we have develop into accustomed to sleeping beneath sirens and shrapnel,” stated Yevgenia Antoniuk, 43.
Recalling a second in 2022 when she gave some bread to a hungry outdated man after the Russians deserted Irpin, she stated: “He burst into tears and started kissing my arms. At that second, I hated Russians so deeply and strongly that I realised that neither I, nor my youngsters, nor my grandchildren would ever overlook or forgive them.”
As in lots of locations throughout the nation, locals there had gathered for a ceremony to mark the four-year anniversary.
Ukrainians are crammed with a mixture of fatigue on the relentless bombardments and mounting battlefield losses, and dedication to withstand.
Regardless of the consequence on the battlefield or on the negotiating desk, “there will probably be no victory for us on this battle,” stated Valentyn Oleksiyenko, a 29-year-old wounded veteran.
“The value we’re paying for it’s too excessive. Too lots of our individuals have been killed,” he added.
Lots of of 1000’s have been killed since Moscow invaded.
The UN has verified round 15,000 Ukrainian civilians killed, however says the true quantity is probably going significantly increased.
Others stated the very fact Ukraine had not fallen to the Russians was a victory in itself.
“Now we have proven that irrespective of who the enemy is that involves our land, we are able to repel them,” stated Isakiy Zinkevich, a 38-year-old priest in Bucha, a Kyiv commuter city that grew to become synonymous with atrocities dedicated by Russian troops.
Territory
The US has been pushing to finish the battle, mediating talks this 12 months in Geneva and Abu Dhabi between the 2 sides, however they continue to be at odds over the problem of territory.
Russia, which occupies round 20% of Ukraine, is combating to achieve full management of Ukraine’s japanese Donetsk area as a part of any deal.
Ukraine has rejected the demand and stated it could not signal a deal with out safety ensures from allies — together with the U.S. — to discourage Russia from invading once more.
The grinding four-year battle has devastated the nation, with the price of post-war reconstruction estimated at round $588 billion over the following decade, in line with a joint World Financial institution, EU and UN report with Kyiv, revealed on Monday (February 22, 2026).
Revealed – February 24, 2026 11:19 pm IST