- By Kathryn Armstrong
- BBC News
1 hour ago
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Marches in solidarity with Ukraine took place across Europe
Ukraine's president has sounded a rallying cry, vowing that his country will win since the Russian invasion took place two years ago.
“None of us will allow our Ukraine to end,” Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech in the capital Kiev.
In a show of solidarity, Western leaders joined him.
The anniversary comes at a time when Ukraine is experiencing a series of setbacks in its efforts to expel Russia from its territory.
Mr. Zelensky said in his speech on Saturday that while every normal person wants an end to the war, this can only happen on Ukraine's terms.
“That's why we always add 'on our terms' to the words 'end of war'. That’s why the word ‘peace’ always goes hand in hand with ‘fair’.”
“We are fighting for it. Already 730 days of our lives. And we will win on the best day of our lives.”
He was joined in Kiev by the heads of state and government of Italy, Belgium and Canada as well as the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
They laid wreaths on a wall to remember those who lost their lives in the conflict.
However, there were some glaring omissions among the visitors. No senior U.S. officials were present while President Joe Biden attended the anniversary last year.
Ms von der Leyen praised the Ukrainian troops who defended the country in the first days of the invasion and dashed expectations about their ability to hold back the Russian invading force.
“You managed to stop Russia’s attack on the heart of Ukraine. You saved your country, you saved all of Europe,” she said.
Italy and Canada used the anniversary visit to announce that they had signed bilateral security pacts with Kiev, aimed at boosting Ukraine's hopes of joining the NATO military alliance.
Image source: Shutterstock
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To mark the anniversary, Western heads of state and government met with the Ukrainian president in Kiev
In another show of support, marches took place across Europe with participants calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war.
At least four people were reportedly arrested in Moscow on Saturday during a rare anti-war protest organized by wives of mobilized soldiers.
Such demonstrations are rare because Russia now has several laws that punish dissidents.
Meanwhile, the fighting continues. At least four people were killed in recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Kiev said it hit one of Russia's largest steel mills in a drone strike early Saturday.