On the second anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine, several government leaders travel to Ukraine. The President of the European Commission reiterates her solidarity with the country, the head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, confirms Ukraine's membership in NATO.
Western leaders demonstratively pledged their support for Ukraine on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Russian invasion. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the heads of government of Italy, Canada and Belgium – Giorgia Meloni, Justin Trudeau and Alexander De Croo – traveled together to Kiev. Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy seemed confident of victory.
“More than ever, we firmly support Ukraine. Financially, economically, militarily and morally. Until the country is finally free”, emphasized von der Leyen on X (Twitter) on Saturday. “Exactly two years ago, it seemed like everything was lost and falling apart in a matter of days,” she said. But thanks to the courage of the Ukrainians this did not happen. The politician listed what has been achieved in the last two years and highlighted, among other things, the cleaning of trade routes in the Black Sea that were blocked by Russia. Von der Leyen also handed over 50 vehicles to the Ukrainian National Police and the Prosecutor General's Office.
The delegation visited Hostomel airport, 20 kilometers from Kiev, the scene of intense fighting at the beginning of the war. “We are here today to thank these men and women who did not flee, but fought, on February 24, two years ago,” said Meloni. The airport is a symbol of Ukrainian pride.
»We fight for it. There are already 730 days of our lives. And we will win.”
Volodimir Zelensky
Ukrainian head of state
Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy seemed confident of victory. “Every normal person wants the war to end, but none of us allow our Ukraine to end,” Zelensky said against the backdrop of planes destroyed at Hostomel airport. Therefore, the war will only end “on our terms” and with a “just” peace. Zelensky said he was proud of Ukrainians fighting for their independence. In the future, the word Ukraine will always be next to the word “independent”. “We fought for it. There are already 730 days of our lives. And we will win.” The military airfield at Hostomel was captured by Russian units in the early days of the war, but was later expelled by the Ukrainian army.
Italy and Canada sign security agreement
The plan is for Meloni and Trudeau to sign security agreements with Zelensky during his stay. France and Germany have concluded similar agreements with Ukraine. This includes, among other things, military aid. A video conference of the G7 countries is also scheduled for the end of the day. As interim president of the group of seven large democratic industrial nations (G7), Meloni wants to lead the video conference of G7 heads of state and government. The group also includes the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, France and Germany. A video conference of G7 countries is planned for later in the day. Zelenskyy was also invited to the G7 video conference.
Stoltenberg: “Ukraine will join NATO”
NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, also spoke and confirmed the country's entry into the alliance. “Ukraine will join NATO. It's not a question of if, but when,” the Norwegian said in a video message on Saturday. “As we prepare for this day, NATO will continue to support Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's goal of dominating Ukraine has not changed. The Russian president started this war because he wanted to close the door on NATO and deny Ukraine the right to choose its own path. But he achieved exactly the opposite. “Ukraine is now closer to NATO than ever before.”
Russian attacks on Ukraine continue
The fight continues unabated even after two years. The Russian military attacked the southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa with combat drones for the second night in a row. The local military administration announced on Saturday night that, among other things, a residential building had been destroyed. At least one person died and three others were taken to hospital with injuries. It was said that people may still be trapped under the rubble. The search operation was still ongoing. The information could not be independently verified.
Explosions also occurred overnight in the southern Russian city of Lipetsk. A major fire reportedly broke out at Russia's largest steel plant. The region's governor, Igor Artamonov, initially reported on his Telegram channel about a fire at a factory. The fire has been extinguished and there is no risk of release of dangerous substances. The security services were therefore checking information about a drone attack.
Ukraine attacks Kurs and Tula with drones
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow reported new Ukrainian drone attacks in the Kursk and Tula regions. Several unmanned missiles were intercepted and destroyed by air defense. This information could not be initially verified.
Ukraine claims to have shot down Russian reconnaissance plane
According to its own statements, Ukrainian air defense had already shot down another Russian A-50 reconnaissance plane, as Air Force chief Mykola Oleshchuk announced on Telegram on Friday. According to media reports, the plane was shot down over the Russian-controlled Sea of Azov and crashed over the Krasnodar region in southern Russia. There was no official confirmation from the Russian side. The state agency Tass reported only one fire in the Krasnodar region caused by “a falling flying object”. According to military experts, Moscow has only about half a dozen operational aircraft of this type.
Russia, which annexed Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014 in violation of international law, began an all-out invasion against the neighboring country on February 24, 2022. Although Ukraine has recorded notable military successes in the first year of the war and has managed to liberate some occupied regions, things currently look much worse from Kiev's point of view.