Zelenskyy urges Trump to visit Kyiv as Ukraine marks four years of full-scale war
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appealed to US president Donald Trump to visit Kyiv, as Ukraine marked four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Zelenskyy said seeing the country first-hand would make clear who started the war and who should be pressured.
In an 18-minute video address, Zelenskyy said Vladimir Putin had not met his original war goals and had not “broken the Ukrainian people”. He said Ukraine had preserved its statehood and would keep working for peace and justice.
Zelenskyy urges Trump as Kyiv rejects concessions in talks
Zelenskyy said Ukraine wants “strong, dignified, lasting peace”. However, he warned against any deal that would, in his words, devalue the struggle and sacrifices since 2022.
He said he had instructed Ukrainian negotiators meeting in Geneva this week not to nullify the past four years. He added that Ukraine could not betray its people in any negotiations with Russia.
Zelenskyy again signalled opposition to Kremlin demands on territory, including calls tied to parts of the eastern Donbas region. He said Russia caused the war and remains the main obstacle to ending it.
European leaders renew support during Kyiv visit
Zelenskyy welcomed a group of European leaders to Kyiv for anniversary events. Those present included European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and several Nordic and Baltic leaders. UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper also attended.
At the same time, UK prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron joined by video to co-chair a meeting of the “coalition of the willing”. Zelenskyy said Ukraine had survived a “terrible” winter and thanked allies for an air defence package delivered this week.
European leaders echoed Zelenskyy’s message. Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said Moscow was not as strong as it claimed. Macron said he was sceptical the war would end soon because Russia showed no willingness to stop.
Putin claims Ukraine derailed peace process
In comments to Russian state media, Putin claimed Ukraine had sabotaged the peace process with the help of western intelligence services. He said Kyiv and its allies were pushing themselves to the edge and would regret it.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would continue its war aims. He said Russia’s goals had not been fully achieved and that the military operation would continue.
New footage shows early hours inside Kyiv bunker
Zelenskyy’s address included footage released for the first time from an underground bunker in Kyiv’s Bankova Street. It showed Zelenskyy and advisers working and sleeping there in the first hours of the invasion.
Zelenskyy also recalled a phone call from then US president Joe Biden, who offered support for him to leave the country urgently. Zelenskyy said he replied that he needed ammunition, not a ride.
The video showed Zelenskyy laying roses at a memorial in Maidan Square. It also showed visiting leaders in Kyiv in recent years, including Starmer and former UK prime minister Boris Johnson.
Tributes in Kyiv highlight toll of war and winter strikes
Ukrainians laid flowers at the memorial in central Kyiv. Some spoke of relatives killed in the fighting, including during battles around Kharkiv. Others described displacement from eastern cities now under Russian control.
Zelenskyy said Russia had intensified aerial attacks on civilians and infrastructure. He said Moscow was striking apartment buildings and power plants because it could not defeat Ukraine on the battlefield. He added that Ukrainians had endured repeated nightly terror during one of the coldest winters in years.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would keep fighting for a peace that protects sovereignty and delivers justice, as the war entered its fifth year.