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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion on Monday by declaring that Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to achieve his war objectives, as European leaders rallied in Kyiv to reaffirm their support.
Looking back at the beginning of the invasion and reflecting on today, we have every right to say, "We have defended our independence; we have not lost our statehood. Putin has not achieved his goals."
He has not broken Ukrainians; he has not won this war," Zelenskyy said in a video address.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Financial Times (FT) on Monday, Feb. 23, Zelenskyy accused Russia of using overtures to U.S. President Donald Trump to weaken Kyiv's negotiating position.
"The Russians are playing games and not serious about bringing the war to a close," Zelenskyy said.
"Putin thinks he looks convincing and that he can be trusted. No, he is a bad actor," he added.
Zelenskyy said Russia and Ukraine were at the "beginning of the end" of the conflict but warned that without firm Western security guarantees, Moscow would use a ceasefire to rebuild its forces for another assault.
"Ukraine needs a ceasefire—yesterday, today, tomorrow," he said, noting that, "We don't need a pause. We need the end of the war."
He said Washington is convinced Putin will stop the war if Zelenskyy hands over the eastern Donbas territory, an idea he called short-sighted.
"Honestly, I do not believe that this is all that Russia demands. Our withdrawal from Donbas, and then the war will end," he said, adding that "Russia is Russia, and you cannot trust them."
Zelenskyy said the pressure Trump put on Kyiv to make concessions for peace was much greater than that applied to Moscow. He called on Trump to squeeze sectors that fund the Kremlin's war machine, including its shadow fleet and energy exports.
"I hope President Trump and the U.S. will pressure Russia and stop Putin," he said, adding, "But I rely primarily on Ukrainian citizens, our army, and our production."
Hundreds of thousands have died since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, unleashing the deadliest war on European soil since World War II.
Talks between the two sides, relaunched last year by the United States with a solid push from Türkiye, have so far failed to halt the fighting.
Russia occupies around 20% of Ukraine and is pushing for full control of the eastern Donetsk region as part of any deal. It has threatened to take it by force if Kyiv does not concede at the negotiating table.
Citing Ukrainian intelligence assessments, Zelenskyy said Russia's grinding battlefield advances in 2025 cost "an average of 167 people per kilometer of occupied territory."
He said Moscow was mobilizing 40,000 troops a month and losing 35,000.
"A pause is needed by them no less than by us," he said, rejecting Putin's suggestions that Ukraine would use a temporary halt in fighting to regroup for an offensive.
"It is demagoguery and lies. Look at who benefits from such claims," Zelenskyy added.
The cost of post-war reconstruction is estimated at around $588 billion over the next decade, according to a joint World Bank, EU and U.N. report published Monday.
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