Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Western leaders to Kiev on Saturday, the second anniversary of Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine, declaring that Vladimir Putin “must lose absolutely everything.”
The Ukrainian president met the prime ministers of Italy, Canada and Belgium – Giorgia Meloni, Justin Trudeau and Alexander De Croo – as well as the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The leaders visited Hostomel airport near Kiev, which Russian paratroopers occupied at the start of the major assault on Moscow. Ukrainian troops regained control of the airfield, thwarting Russian plans to capture the capital.
“Two years ago we met enemy soldiers here with fire, and two years later we meet our friends, our partners here,” Zelenskiy said. He added: “Every normal person wants the war to end.” But none of us will allow our Ukraine to end.”
Dear great people of a great country, I am immensely proud of each of you. I admire each and every one of you. I believe in each of you. Every normal person wants the war to end. But none of us will allow Ukraine to end.
That's why when we end the war we always add: on our… pic.twitter.com/MQttTK8Ex2
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Ð'олодимир Ð—ÐµÐ»ÐµÐ½Ñ ÑŒÐºÐ¸Ð¹ (@ZelenskyyUa) February 24, 2024
Zelenskiy later spoke to Joe Biden via video call. The show of solidarity came at a time when Ukrainian troops have suffered defeats on the battlefield, including the recent loss of the eastern town of Avdiivka.
The international picture is also bleak. With Republicans in the House of Representatives in Washington blocking a US military aid package, Ukraine is running out of artillery shells and anti-aircraft missiles.
Other visitors to Kiev included Boris Johnson and a cross-party delegation of British MPs. At a conference organized by Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Pinchuk, the former prime minister said he was more convinced than ever that Ukraine could defeat Russia.
It has already destroyed large numbers of Russian tanks and soldiers, he said. He called on Kiev to remove the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia with occupied Crimea. “I want to blow this up,” he said, calling on democratic countries to “do more” and boost defense production.
On this grim second anniversary of Putin's invasion, I am honored to be here in Ukraine. I have no doubt that Ukrainians, with their indomitable courage, will win and drive out Putin's forces – provided we give them the military, political and economic help they need. pic.twitter.com/M6VYgOjOPa
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) February 24, 2024
Johnson said he was confident Republicans would agree to the White House's stalled $61 billion package for Ukraine. “I think in the end, having exhausted all available alternatives, the United States will do the right thing,” he predicted. “It is not in the interests of US presidents to allow Putin to win.”
Outside Kiev the war continued unabated. For the second consecutive day, Russian drones attacked the port of Odessa, hitting a residential building and killing one person. A Russian drone killed two people in Dnipro.
Ukraine's national security adviser Oleksiy Danilov claimed his forces shot down a Russian A-50 military spy plane on Friday. It was the second time in a month that an A-50 had been destroyed, he said. “They had six of them. Now they have four,” he said.
Danilov complained that the West had not provided Kiev with long-range systems such as Germany's Taurus missile, which would allow it to hit Russian targets deep in the rear.
“We had to shoot down the spy plane with a Soviet missile. It was older than me,” Danilov said.