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On the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to force a victory in 2023 as he tries to rally an increasingly tired but defiant nation.
Addressing the armed forces and the nation on Friday, Russian leaders believed their country would fall within days of Moscow’s advance.
“They threatened that in 72 hours, we will not be there,” Zelenskyy said – without mentioning that some of Ukraine’s allies made the same assessment at the time.
“But we survived the fourth day, and the fifth. And today, we have stood exactly one year. And we still know – every tomorrow must be fought.”
CBC News has been on the ground about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since its inception. Do you want to know about his experience there? Send an email to ask@cbc.ca. Our reporter will answer your questions.
Later, in a marathon press conference with international media, Zelenskyy said that the timeline for ending the war could be met as long as “partners also do their work” – a reference to the speed of delivery of advanced weapons from allies, including heavy weapons. tanks.
On Friday, Canada announced it would send four additional Leopard 2 tanks, bringing the country’s total heavy armor contribution to eight tanks.
Zelenskyy was pressed several times during the three-hour exchange with reporters to explain the conditions under which Ukraine would talk to Russia about ending the war.
He was blunt, declaring that there would be no talks with Russia until its troops were withdrawn from Ukrainian territory and the aerial bombardment stopped.
“Everyone has seen that they are killing and torturing people. They are not trying to hide the attack, they are talking about the nuclear issue,” he said. “Looking at this picture of the world, do you think Ukrainians can sit on this and negotiate?”
The message to Moscow was equally challenging.
“Our right to live on our land must be respected. Leave our territory and withdraw and stop killing civilians and stop airstrikes, stop killing dogs, cats and animals,” said Zelenskyy. “Only after that, we will tell you what form of diplomacy we can take.”
Zelensky reacted cautiously to China’s peace proposal, suggesting that what he saw in public looked like a statement rather than a basis for discussion.
“China is speaking its mind. China has started to talk about Ukraine and that is good,” he said, adding to the question of what actions China’s intervention could take.
US intelligence officials have suggested that Washington has seen signs that China is providing non-lethal assistance and is preparing to provide Moscow with lethal assistance – possibly including drones and artillery munitions.
A senior Ukrainian security official said he had also heard that the Russians might be getting material — specifically Soviet-style 122-millimeter rounds — to replenish their depleted stocks, but there was no evidence the transfer had taken place.
It’s not surprising that Moscow is trying to replenish its stockpiles, given the amount of ammunition used, officials who spoke on the background of CBC News said. According to Ukrainian government estimates, Russian artillery units have been firing up to 5,000 rounds per day and have fired seven million tons of ammunition over the past year.
In his speech, Zelenskyy recalled the sacrifices his family made during World War II. Ukrainian grandparents used to talk about how to defeat the Nazis, he said, and now their grandchildren are telling their grandfathers how to defeat the Russians.
“In fact, every Ukrainian has lost someone in the past year,” Zelenskyy said. “Father, son, brother, mother, daughter, sister. Loved ones. Close friends, colleagues, neighbors, acquaintances.”
‘We will never forget him’
Almost everyone, he said, has a contact on their phone that belongs to someone they will never pick up again.
“We will not delete his name from our phone or from our own memory. We will never forget,” said Zelenskyy. “We will not forgive. We will not rest until the Russian killers face the punishment they deserve.”
In a solemn, low-key ceremony in Kyiv at Ornate St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Primate Epiphanius I, handed over the award to ordinary soldiers who fought to defend the capital year. The citation is for “for sacrifice and love for Ukraine.”
In the square outside the monastery, families with small children mingled amid the crash of Russian tanks and other military vehicles – a morale-boosting exercise commissioned by the Ukrainian government.
Among them is Kateryna Didenko, a soloist with the Grand Kyiv Ballet. She fled the country with her son at the start of the invasion, leaving her husband behind. He returned after a few months in Germany.
It’s just very difficult to stay away, said Didenko.
“That’s why we decided to come back,” he said, noting the victory of the Ukrainian army and the flood of western weapons convinced him “that we can come back and stay here because now it’s safer.”
His eyes filled with tears, he thought that a big war had been going on for a year.
“My goodness. I didn’t think it would take so long,” said Didenko. “I thought the war would last a month or two. And now it’s been a year. We have a good life [before the invasion] then I have to run.”
If there is any consolation, he said, it is that Ukraine has shown the world that it is strong and that a person “really wants to live in our country in freedom.”
WATCH | ‘The resilience is unbelievable’: Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine
“That’s missing [Ukrainians] will say the speed in the delivery of weapons, “Canada’s Ambassador to Ukraine Larissa Galadza told Power & Politics on Friday. “They use ammunition continuously …
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