Zelensky says Putin ‘did not achieve his goals’ of war in Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, during a press interview in Lithuania Mindaugas Kulbis/AP Russian President Vladimir Putin “did not achieve his war goals” nor did he “break the Ukrainians”, declared this Tuesday (24) President Volodymyr Zelensky, the day on which Russia’s invasion of the territory of Ukraine completes four years. Ukraine marks the date with a show of solidarity from its allies, but without envisioning an end to the most violent conflict in Europe since the Second World War. ✅ Follow g1’s international news channel on WhatsApp “Putin did not achieve his goals. He did not break the Ukrainians. He did not win this war. We preserve Ukraine and will do everything possible to achieve peace and justice,” declared Zelensky in a video message. The Ukrainian president added that his country is prepared to do “everything” possible to ensure a solid and lasting peace. See the videos that are trending on g1 Hundreds of thousands of people have died since the Kremlin sent troops to the territory of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, confident of a quick victory and without expecting the intense resistance it would encounter from Kiev. The global impact of the conflict is immense, with an increase in defense spending in several European countries in anticipation of a possible confrontation with Russia. Negotiations between the two countries, resumed last year at the initiative of the United States, failed to stop the fighting, which destroyed entire cities and forced millions of Ukrainians to flee the country. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in the Ukrainian capital this Tuesday. In a video, she summarized the purpose of the visit: “To highlight our enduring commitment to Ukraine’s fair fight” and to send “a clear message to both the Ukrainian people and the aggressor: We will not relent until peace is restored. Peace on Ukraine’s terms.” Von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will participate in a videoconference meeting with Ukraine’s allies, the so-called “Coalition of Volunteers”, which includes Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Deadlock in negotiations Russia, which occupies almost 20% of Ukrainian territory, daily bombs civilian areas and infrastructures, which has caused the worst energy crisis in the country since the beginning of the invasion, worsened by a harsh winter (northern hemisphere). Kiev’s Western allies adopted strong sanctions against Moscow, which forced Russia to redirect its oil exports to new markets, especially in Asia. Despite the impact of sanctions, Russian troops have advanced slowly in recent months, particularly in the eastern region of Donbass, the epicenter of violent fighting and which Moscow wants to annex. At the same time, negotiations continue under US mediation. Zelensky insists on his demands for security guarantees from Washington before signing any agreement with Moscow. Russia rejected Kiev’s proposals to send European forces to Ukraine after a possible ceasefire agreement. The Russian president warned that he will achieve his goals by force if diplomacy fails. Reconstruction The four-year war devastated Ukraine, which was already one of the poorest countries in Europe. According to a joint report by the World Bank, the EU and the UN, published on Monday, the cost of post-war reconstruction will be 588 billion dollars (3 trillion reais) over the next decade. Russia justified sending troops to Ukraine to stop the country’s ambition to join NATO. The Kremlin considers that Kiev’s entry into the Atlantic Alliance threatens its own security. On Monday, during a Defender of the Fatherland Day ceremony, Putin insisted that soldiers defend Russia’s “borders” in Ukraine to ensure “strategic parity” between the powers and fight for the country’s “future.” Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, considers the war to be the resurgence of Russian imperialism aimed at subjugating the Ukrainian people. “Russia wants to impose a different way of life on the world and change the lives that people have chosen for themselves,” Zelensky said in a BBC interview on Sunday.

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