Toll of Russia’s War on Ukrainian Children

It’s difficult to say who has suffered more. The children who Russia steals from the arms of their parents? The children who see their parents, loved ones and friends killed or raped by Russian cutthroats? The children who are injured or maimed in Russia’s war against Ukraine?

Certainly not those children who have been killed by Russian invaders since the war started on February 24, 2022.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported more than 3,200 Ukrainian children have been killed or injured since Russia's invasion began exactly four years ago. The group's representative to Ukraine, Munir Mammadzade, joins Becky Anderson to break down the impact of the conflict on the country's most vulnerable.

More than a third of Ukraine’s children – 2,589,900 – remain displaced as the Russian war vs Ukraine enters its fifth year. This includes more than 791,000 children inside Ukraine and nearly 1,798,900 children living as refugees outside the country.   

“Millions of children and families have fled their homes in search of safety, with 1 in 3 children remaining displaced four years into this relentless war. Obligations under international humanitarian law must be upheld. Every child has the right to grow up in safety and without exception that right must be respected,” said UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Regina De Dominicis.

Many children have been forced to flee their homes multiple times. A recent survey conducted by UNICEF found that of those displaced, 1 in 3 adolescents aged 15-19 years reported moving at least twice. Safety was cited as the most common reason for fleeing.

Bombardments have killed or injured more than 3,200 children since February 24, 2022. Last year saw a 10% increase in child casualties compared to 2024, the third consecutive year in a row that UN-verified child casualties have increased.  

More than 1,700 schools and other education facilities have been damaged or destroyed, resulting in 1 in 3 children unable to attend in-person schooling full-time. 

Recent strikes on energy infrastructure have left millions of children and families struggling to survive in extreme sub-zero temperatures as they are forced to endure days without heating, electricity and water at home. Babies and young children are at the highest risk of respiratory illnesses and hyperthermia in these conditions, while medical facilities struggle to operate under attacks and reduced energy, with nearly 200 medical facilities verified as damaged or destroyed in 2025 alone.

Aside from the physical dangers, children’s mental health is increasingly under strain. Constant fear of attacks, endless sheltering in basements, and isolation at home with limited social connections has left adolescents struggling. A recent survey found that one in four 15-19-year-olds is losing hope of a future in Ukraine, pointing to an urgent need for safety and stability, and investment in the critical services and opportunities that children and young people need. 

“At first, when I came to Bulgaria, it was difficult for me and I didn’t want to talk to anyone. Today I already have friends here, I study in a Bulgarian school, and I dream of becoming a child psychologist because I want to help other children. This is very important,” shared 16-year-old Denys from Ukraine, who has been living in Bulgaria for three years and is part of the “Young Hopes” club in Varna, supported by UNICEF. 

In Bulgaria, since the outbreak of the war, more than 220,000 people have received temporary protection. In 2026, over 80,000 people from Ukraine are still in the country, around 25-30% of whom — or nearly 24,000 — children. UNICEF Bulgaria works with national and local authorities, as well as non-governmental organizations, to ensure access to essential services for vulnerable children and families from Ukraine, including support for education, access to information, help with adaptation, and group and individual support to cope with trauma and uncertainty.

A 2025 UNICEF survey showed that 1 in 5 children reported having lost a close relative or friend. 

Around 70% of children — 3.5 million children — in Ukraine still lack access to basic goods and services, including adequate food or shelter. One-third of Ukraine’s children live in homes without functioning water supply and sewage and nearly half of all children lack access to an area to play at home or outside. Over 3,300 schools and pre-schools have been damaged or destroyed. In frontline areas, many students attend classes in underground shelters due to safety concerns.  

In 2025, delivering through local authorities and partners in Ukraine, UNICEF reached 7 million people, including 2.5 million children with humanitarian support. UNICEF’s recovery programming, working with national and local authorities, strengthened social services for some 9.8 million people across the country.   

UN General Assembly Marks ‘Grim’ 4^th Anniversary of Russian War vs Ukraine but without US Support

UNITED NATIONS – Marking the fourth anniversary of the bloody Russian war that is still raging in Ukraine, the UN General Assembly today adopted a resolution demanding an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire, as delegates voiced varying degrees of hope and skepticism over ongoing United States-facilitated peace talks.

The Assembly’s 193 members met today – exactly four years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine – in the latest meeting of its Eleventh Emergency Special Session on Ukraine, which was first convened in February 2022.

They adopted the resolution, titled “Support for lasting peace in Ukraine” by a recorded vote of 107 in favor to 12 against, with 51 abstentions.  By its terms, the Assembly called for an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, the release of all unlawfully detained persons, and the return of all internees and of civilians forcibly transferred or deported, including children.

While the resolution by the international organization is justified and accurate in its intent, it is mind boggling that the United States decided to abstain from supporting the document. But on the other hand, the action goes hand-in-hand with President Donald Trump’s contrary position regarding Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the US proposed a “motion for division” for the resolution, separating the second paragraph of the background and the second action clause from the rest of the resolution for separate votes.

The motion was strongly objected to by Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa, who called it “deeply concerning and cannot be accepted.”

The US deputy envoy to the UN, Tammy Bruce, argued that "Our view is that certain language in the resolution is likely to distract from ongoing negotiations, rather than support discussion of the full range of diplomatic avenues that may pave the way to durable peace."

“This war, initiated by a permanent member of the Security Council in blatant violation of our Charter, continues to inflict untold suffering on the Ukrainian people,” said General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock (Germany), in remarks delivered by Assembly Vice-President Tania Serafim Yvonne Romualdo (Cabo Verde).

Even as peace talks continue, the UN said, 2025 was the deadliest year for civilians since the start of this invasion, she said.  Nearly 4 million people are internally displaced, while homes, healthcare facilities, schools and energy grids have been deliberately targeted and destroyed, leaving people to freeze to death.  “This violence spares no one — not mothers or fathers, not grandparents and certainly not children.”

As the world watched in shock, she said, it would have been easy to remain paralyzed.  But, the General Assembly — too often dismissed as a body with no real power — chose a different path.  With the Security Council deadlocked, the Assembly convened the first meeting of its emergency special session and has since adopted eight resolutions with concrete demands.

“Since the invasion, the General Assembly has remained clear, resolute and unwavering,” she said.  “At a time when the UN is under intense scrutiny and the Security Council remains deadlocked, this Assembly has demonstrated its ability to act as the moral voice of the international community.”

“No country in modern history has endured an attack of such gravity,” said Mariana Betsa, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, who introduced today’s resolution.  Russia seeks to divide the world into spheres of influence and render Ukraine its satellite, she said, but it will not succeed.

Despite many peace efforts, Betsa said, Moscow has demonstrated no genuine willingness to stop its aggression.  Between 8 and 15 February, it launched some 1,300 attack drones, more than 1,200 guided aerial bombs and 50 missiles against Ukraine, most of them ballistic.  Ukraine, on the other hand, has shown clear readiness to pursue peace, including through extremely difficult compromises.

Painting a vivid picture of life in Ukraine without heat or electricity in frigid winter conditions, she declared:  “This is not a military strategy gone wrong, this is a deliberate Russian State policy.”  Moscow continues to weaponize winter, cold and darkness to break her nation’s resilience. Ironically, the New York Post recognized Russian  intention to weaponize the frigid winter cold but noted that Moscow failed. The gambit made Ukrainians more resilient and stubborn in the face of these Russian cruel efforts.

Against that bleak backdrop, she urged Member-States to vote in favor of the draft resolution before them today, emphasizing that it is no mere “political gesture,” but a vote for justice, peace and in support of the Ukrainian people.

Ambassador Tammy Bruce, deputy UN representative of the US, insisted that

“The Russia-Ukraine war must end now. Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States continues to devote energy and effort at the highest levels to bring both Russia and Ukraine closer to a negotiated agreement that will finally end the bloodshed and destruction.” Bruce, like the entire Trump team, emphasized the unjust concept parity rather than placing the onus on the perpetrator Russia.

“Ending the war, of course, is the right thing to do, but no one is suggesting it will be easy. It will require sacrifices and compromises. In this regard, the United States calls on everyone to do all in their power to lower the rhetoric and engage in good faith,” Bruce said.

“The United States welcomes, of course, the call for an immediate ceasefire. As we’ve said, this resolution also includes language that is likely to distract from ongoing negotiations, rather than support discussion of the full range of diplomatic avenues that may pave the way to that durable peace. For this reason, the United States called for a vote on the two paragraphs and ultimately chose to abstain on the resolution.

“What is needed now to end the war is political will. We believe we are closer to a deal than at any point since this war began. Let this be the last anniversary of an ongoing war that has continued for far too long and at far too great a cost. Let’s end it now,” she said.

“Today, we mark a tragic anniversary,” said the European Union’s delegate, in its capacity as observer.  Moscow continues to intentionally attack civilians and civilian infrastructure, which are war crimes.  “Politically, the war has deepened divisions between countries and eroded trust in international institutions and norms,” he said, adding that it has also impacted trade, food security and other critical systems around the globe.

“We want this war to stop,” said the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia, echoing those points.  “Russia’s war is an imperial and colonial war,” she added, emphasizing that no one is safe from this ambition - even countries across Africa and the Middle East have been pulled into Moscow’s imperial strategies. 

Denmark’s delegate, also speaking for Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, said: “What the Kremlin thought would be a three-day ‘Special Military Operation’ has now entered day 1,461.”  Peace in Ukraine must be comprehensive and respect international law, she said, calling for robust security guarantees to prevent the Russian Federation from invading Ukraine again.

“No super-Power wins a war against reality,” said the Czech Republic’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs. He addressed his remarks directly to his counterpart in Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Livor, asking:  “Does this war actually lead to more security for your country?”  Even great nations cannot survive wars that have no end.  “The strength of a global Power does not lie in its ability to start a foreign war,” but in its ability to end one, he stressed.

“Georgia knows firsthand the consequences of occupation,” said that country’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, noting that Moscow continues its illegal military presence in his country’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions.  Indeed, he stressed, Georgia knows the price of peace and will fully support the Ukrainian people.

Russia can run from the truth all it wants but it can’t hide from it. The world knows and it will remember.

‘We Inevitably Rise, We Return, We Continue to Fight’

The following is the address by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered today on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s latest invasion of Ukraine.

Dear Ukrainians!

Today marks exactly four years since Putin started his three-day push to take Kyiv. And that, in fact, says a great deal about our resistance, about how Ukraine has fought all this time. Behind those words stand millions of our people. Behind those words stand immense courage, incredibly hard work, endurance, and the long path Ukraine has been pursuing since February 24.

This office – this small room in the bunker on Bankova Street – this is where I held my first conversations with world leaders at the start of the war. Here I spoke with President Biden, and it was right here that I heard: Volodymyr, there is a threat. You need to leave Ukraine urgently. We are ready to help with that. And here I replied that I need ammunition, not a ride.

And not because we are all fearless or made of steel – we are all human beings, and on that day, every one of us, all Ukrainians, felt fear and pain; many were in shock, and many did not know what to say. But on some invisible level, all of us knew that we have no other Ukraine, that this is our home, and all of us understood what had to be done.

Such was the choice. The choice that millions of Ukrainians made back then. Our people did not raise a white flag – they defended the blue and yellow one. And the occupiers, who thought they would be met here with crowds waving flowers, saw lines at the recruitment centers instead. Our people chose resistance. And our warriors stood firm, and civilians defended cities and villages, streets and yards. Ordinary people, absolutely, forming living walls, stopped columns of military vehicles, and all together showed lost Russia the only right road.

Everyone understood: every tomorrow had to be won. Ukraine had to stand – the state had to stand no matter what. And despite everything, our Ukraine had to keep functioning. Much was done here; we had never shown this facility before – it’s empty now, of course, but at the beginning of the war, there were hundreds of people here. 

I worked here, then went upstairs to address you, the people. Here was our team, the government, daily coordination with the military, phone calls, the search for solutions – everything necessary for Ukraine to endure. Weapons had to be delivered. Medicine and food were delivered to cities blockaded by the enemy. To preserve the life Ukraine fights for so desperately.

And to be honest, things were different at times – here, both formal and blunt language was used, because every aid package, every sanction against Russia, every shipment of weapons – all of these had to be truly fought for. We had to fight tooth and nail for the faith in Ukraine. We had to make sure the world got involved.

And this was the key message of our appeals to European countries, to the U.S. Congress, to most parliaments around the world – and to the people, of course. To ordinary people – to millions across the globe – be with us, be with Ukraine, believe in us, stand with Ukraine, be brave like Ukraine!

These calls worked, because Ukrainians fought in a way that took your breath away, and this resistance was visible even from space, and that was absolutely inspiring, so very soon everyone saw it – this blue-and-yellow sea: thousands of people with our flags in squares across Europe and the world.

And so – gradually, with difficulty, step by step, brick by brick – Ukraine built the support that allowed us to hold out: when we made it through the first day of the war. The longest day of our lives. Then another. And another. Then a week. Two weeks. And then – a month. And we saw spring.

We won it back then – when it seemed that this February would never end, we gained our first spring amid a great war. It was a turning point, and for the first time, a thought flashed through everyone’s mind: we can do this. Ukraine can do this.

I really like the phrase that everyone was reposting at the time – a kind of summary of the first stage of the full-scale war, when Ukraine said: “You think I’ve fallen to my knees? I’ve just tied my tactical boots.”

And ahead of us was a road. And even in this long tunnel, you couldn’t fit a millionth of the pain Ukraine has endured during this time. The pain Russia brought to each of our families, to every Ukrainian heart.

Bucha. Irpin. Borodyanka. Mass graves. Hostomel. Mriya. Kharkiv. Mykolaiv. Regional state administration. Kakhovka Dam. Zaporizhzhia NPP. Kremenchuk and Kryvyi Rih. Ternopil and Lviv. Olenivka. Chasiv Yar. Kyiv. Okhmatdyt. Kramatorsk. Train station. A toy. Mariupol. Drama theater. The inscription: Children. Odesa. Apartment building. A little girl. Three months. Vilnyansk. Maternity ward. An infant. Two days…

Men do not fight like this. People do not act like this. Ukrainians will not forget it. Let this footage be seen by everyone who has no pangs of conscience, by all who still extend a hand to Russian evil and still buy Putin’s oil.

But all this time, we have not let our anger eat us from within. Ukrainians have turned their own rage into energy for the fight and have proven: we can be forced into shelters, but it is impossible to drive Ukraine underground forever. We inevitably rise, we return, we continue to fight – because we fight for life. For the right to stand on our land – and to breathe our own air. And Ukraine knows these feelings well – when, despite everything, after the all-clear, we come up from the bomb shelter, and with us, hope emerges, soaring into the sky; whenever the Ukrainian flag is raised – whenever it returned and returns to where it rightfully belongs.

And this was the next important stage of our struggle – when Ukraine not only endured, not only holds the defense, but strikes back. When entire cities made history. Hero Cities. Cities of Heroes. They moved forward. There were the first offensives, the first successes, and what can never be forgotten – the first eyes, the eyes of Ukrainians who had waited for their own. Balakliya, Izyum, Kupyansk, Kherson. Everyone saw how the occupiers were driven out of the Kyiv region, out of the Sumy region, the Chernihiv region. And everyone learned about the Ukrainian teleport to the other world for the enemy – Chornobaivka. Saw how Russian ultimatums turned into goodwill gestures. How Zmiinyi Island became ours again.

How the word “bavovna” gained a new meaning, and how we rejoiced when the first “bavovna” was heard in Russia. It is not malice – this is simply what justice sounds like in Ukrainian. It sounds like Stuhna, Vilkha, Neptune, and the roar with which the cruiser Moskva sank. Back then – it was a big moment. Later – it became a tradition. 

And little else lifts Ukrainian spirits like the footage of the enemy’s military facilities and oil refineries burning. When it happened for the first time – it was major news. Now – it is almost daily.

And what once seemed unthinkable has now become the norm. Patriots, IRIS-Ts, NASAMS, F-16s – and something greater: our own weapons, our long-range capability.

Just realize this. Ukraine has come a long way – from the point when we were being given body armor to the point when we ourselves produce more than three million FPV drones a year. From the days when we admired Javelins and Bayraktars to the day when we have our own Sichen, Hor, Vampire, Palianytsia, Peklo, Ruta, Flamingo. From asking to close the sky to the ability to shoot down hundreds of “shaheds” in a single night. From hedgehogs and fortifications on the streets of Kyiv to the Kursk operation and the Spiderweb.

But that is still not enough – we will do more, because Russia does not stop, unfortunately, and wages war by every method – against peace, against us, against people.

Putin understands he is not capable of defeating Ukraine on the battlefield, and the “second army in the world” is fighting against apartment buildings and power plants. And now Ukrainians are enduring the hardest winter in history. And terror almost every night. I do not know who else could withstand this without collapsing or wavering. Ukrainians are doing it. And this is great exhaustion. For sure. What other people could do this? Despite the war, all these attacks, all these trials – to overcome evil – to overcome despair and hopelessness. And to hold on. And to hold on in unity.

And amid all this – to achieve results – everywhere. To recover after every attack. Each time, to replenish our air defense with missiles. To go to work every morning. To hold the line constantly. To speak with the world as equals. To gain EU candidate status, to bring thousands of our prisoners home. To make every international platform – from Davos to the UN – pro-Ukrainian. To make Ukraine’s voice in the world loud, to win Eurovision, to take the Oscar and the BAFTA, to be absolute world boxing champions, and to prove that Ukrainians have honor of the highest grade – far more valuable than any gold of this spineless IOC.

From each such act, from all such steps, achievements, and small victories, the great Ukraine is formed. Great – because it has you. People who inspire the planet.

And we remember how the first foreign leaders arrived in Ukraine at the beginning of this war. And the term “official visit” cannot in the slightest convey what these meetings were for us. We understood who was truly our brother and friend, who did not fear, did not hesitate, did not stain their name and did not worry about how not to anger Putin. I thank every leader who chose the side of light in history – chose Ukraine. In Europe, the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia. Everyone who stands with us.

And I really want to come here with the President of the United States one day. I know for certain: only by coming to Ukraine, and seeing with one’s own eyes our life and our struggle, feeling our people and the enormity of this pain – only then can one understand what this war is really about. And because of whom. Who the aggressor is here and who must be pressured. That Ukraine defends life, fights precisely for this, and that this is not a street fight – it is an attack by a sick state on a sovereign one, and that Putin is this war. He is the cause of its beginning and the obstacle to its end. And it is Russia that must be put in its place. So that there can be real peace.

They say time heals. I am not sure. At least I do not know how much time it will take to heal all our wounds – all these painful questions of “How many?” that burn inside. How many tears have been cried? How many attacks and vile strikes? How many scars in our hearts – how many flags in our cemeteries? How many names?

Da Vinci, Grenka, Juice. Zheka, Tykhyi, Nord. Petrychenko, Matsievskyi, sailor Vitalii Skakun, pilot Oleksandr Oksanchenko. Daria “Delta” Lopatina. Lana “Sati” Chornohorska. Yulia Bereziuk, Marharyta Polovinko. Thousands, thousands of heroes who gave their lives so that Ukraine may live. Our warrior-defenders. Our guardian angels.

I am certain they have told God the whole truth about this war. About how we defend ourselves. We defend our land, life, independence, our culture, history, our St. Sophia, our people. 1,462 days of the full-scale war. 12 years since the beginning of Russia’s aggression. For some – an entire lifetime. Of course, we all want the war to end. But no one will allow Ukraine to end. We want peace. Strong, dignified, lasting. And before each round of negotiations, I give our team very clear directives. They always come in classified decrees, but I will certainly not reveal a state secret if I share my main message: not to nullify all these years, not to devalue – the entire struggle, the courage, the dignity, everything Ukraine has gone through. This cannot be surrendered, forgotten, betrayed. That is why there are so many rounds of negotiations, and a battle for every word, for every point, for real security guarantees, so that the agreement is strong. History is watching us closely. The agreement must not simply be signed – it must be accepted, accepted by Ukrainians.

Dear people,

The strength that has sustained us all these years is you. Our people. Our resistance is you. Ukrainian men. Ukrainian women. Everyone who does not give up. Our eyes may be tired, but our backs are unbroken. And I want to thank each and every one who carries independence on their shoulders. Every warrior – for your strength. Your parents, your children, your wives and husbands – for their endurance. I thank all those whose work makes Ukraine stronger. Those who bring light and warmth back to our homes. Those who heal. Those who volunteer. Those who teach. Those who study – in universities or in schools – and who learn the most important thing: to be human, to be Ukrainian. I am proud of you. I believe in each and every one of you. In all of you to whom, without any exaggeration, I have the honor to say: Great people of a great Ukraine.

Looking back at the beginning of the invasion and reflecting on today, we have every right to say: we have defended our independence, we have not lost our statehood. Ukraine exists not just on the map. Ukraine is an actor in international relations. Our capital stands, and so do Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kramatorsk, Odesa, Lviv. Other cities. Putin has not achieved his goals. He has not broken Ukrainians. He has not won this war. We have preserved Ukraine, and we will do everything to secure peace and justice. 

Less than a week until spring. We are getting through the hardest winter in history. This is a fact. And it is very difficult. Difficult for all of us. But just as on the first day of the war – we continue to build our tomorrow – step by step, task by task, achievement by achievement, and every result, every success, every one of our “Ukraine did it” is the merit of all of you. The Ukrainian people.

Glory to Ukraine!

 

Four Years on, Zelenskyy Believes Ukraine isn’t Losing the War vs Russia

Despite President Donald Trump’s outspoken belief that Ukraine will have a tough time defeating Russia if not directly losing to the Evil Empire so negotiations and concessions are in order, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have in recent weeks scored major victories against Russian invaders.

The Oval Office was the site of the first explosive exchange between Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.  During a tense February 28, 2025, meeting, Trump told Zelenskyy, “You don't have the cards right now,” arguing that Ukraine lacked the leverage to win its war against Russia without US support.

Trump maintains his bully attitude toward Ukraine, demanding, “Ukraine better come to the table fast. That’s all I’m telling you.”

Zelenskyy concurs with the observation that US funds and materiel are needed to defeat Russian aggressors. More than that, Ukrainian soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines have been holding their own and even pushing back the enemy.

As of early 2026, Donald Trump’s public position on whether Ukraine can win against Russia has shifted, moving from initial doubt and pressure for territorial concessions to later stating that, with Western support, Ukraine could win back its territory. He has frequently emphasized Russia’s superior size and strength, suggesting that, for a time, he viewed a Ukrainian victory as unlikely. Despite the shift, reports in February 2026 indicated he is still pressuring Ukraine to come to the table for a ceasefire, with some reports suggesting he was insisting on Ukrainian territorial concessions to end the war quickly. 

Trump has put pressure on Ukraine to cede territory to Russia, specifically the Donbas, as key to unlocking an end to the war.

But Ukraine has rejected ceding territory that Moscow has failed to conquer through military force and pushed back on Trump’s belief that handing land to Putin would satisfy his appetite for destroying Ukraine.

Trump’s remarks follow a known pattern where the he has used his bully pulpit to put pressure on Ukraine while holding back criticisms against Russia. While Trump has said that he believes Putin wants to make a deal, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Munich Security that it’s not clear if Russia is serious about ending the war.

Alongside the trilateral talks to end the war, Ukraine is negotiating with the U.S. on a deal for security guarantees to deter Russia from using any pause in the fighting to reconstitute its military and launch another invasion against Ukraine. The end of this war is not Ukraine’s goal. The conclusion must be a just one that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while not giving the perpetrator a square millimeter.

Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine is not losing the war against Russia, according to an interview published by Agence France-Presse (AFP). Speaking in Kyiv, Zelenskyy emphasized that while the outcome remains uncertain, Ukraine is firmly holding its ground.
Zelenskyy said, “You can’t say that we’re losing the war. Honestly, we’re definitely not losing it. The question is whether we will win.” His remarks come as the war today begins fifth year of intense fighting.
Zelenskyy’s statement reflects Kyiv’s official position that Ukrainian forces have stabilized key sectors of the battlefield despite sustained Russian offensives. While Ukraine has faced manpower and ammunition challenges, Western military assistance and defensive operations have allowed its forces to prevent major strategic breakthroughs by Russian troops.
Zelenskyy, who believes Putin has already started World War Three, framed the current phase of the war as difficult but not decisive in Russia’s favor. Independent verification of specific territorial claims was not included in the interview report. The broader battlefield situation remains fluid, with ongoing combat in eastern and southern regions.
This statement signals Ukraine’s continued determination to resist Russian advances and reinforces Kyiv’s messaging to international partners regarding sustained military and financial support. Politically, Zelenskyy will not concede anything to Russia for the sake of a weak, insincere peace that Moscow will break and return to its imperial mission of subjugating Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United States said her country is ready to make a peace deal, pushing back on President Trump’s remarks this week suggesting Kyiv was to blame for stalled negotiations with Russia. 

“It has never been Ukraine who has been an impediment to the arrangement and the deal,” Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s envoy to the U.S., told The Hill on Tuesday.

She further called for Washington and Europe to follow through on large-scale sanctions packages to increase the pressure on Russian führer Vladimir Putin to drop his maximalist demands and end the war. 

“This is the moment when Russia should understand that every day of procrastination in settling the peace deal will cost the price, and this price will be increasing,” she said.

Ukraine’s wish list includes a bipartisan bill imposing tariffs on countries that purchase Russian oil. The bill is sponsored by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). Blumenthal, who traveling in Kyiv, told reporters that Trump is blocking the bill from going to the floor.

Thune has also said the House should take up the bill before the Senate, because it deals with federal revenue. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA.) office declined to comment on the status of the bill.

Zelenskyy told AFP on last week that Ukraine is not losing its war against Russia, has taken hundreds of square kilometers in a new counteroffensive, and that European troops should deploy right on the front line after any ceasefire.

Ukraine’s leader was speaking to AFP in an exclusive interview ahead of the four-year anniversary of the Russian invasion, with the outcome of the war – or the shape of any deal to end the fighting – still hanging in the balance.

His assessment of the bloody war comes as Trump is pushing Kyiv to agree a deal with Moscow, and during one of the most difficult winters for Ukraine's exhausted population and stretched military.

“You can’t say that we’re losing the war. Honestly, we’re definitely not losing it, definitely. The question is whether we will win,” Zelenskyy said.

During the latest U.S.-mediated negotiations in Geneva on February 17–18, Kyiv and Moscow discussed a joint Russian-Ukrainian civilian administration to run a demilitarized zone in the Donbas. But Ukrainian officials say the proposal is unrealistic and unacceptable, and the recent round of talks again ended in a stalemate. The plan follows the failure of other stillborn ideas discussed during talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S.

The proposal envisions withdrawing both Russian and Ukrainian troops from part of the Donbas in the country's east and establishing a civilian authority to manage the area. It would be potentially staffed by both Ukrainian and Russian representatives.

The Kyiv Independent has learned from a person familiar with the discussions that U.S. negotiators introduced the idea during recent talks as part of efforts to resolve the territorial dispute. The status of the Donbas remains the most contentious issue between Kyiv and Moscow. “Both the Americans and the Russians say that if you want the war to end tomorrow, get out of Donbas,” Zelenskyy said about the eastern region that Russia has claimed as its own.

Ukraine Defense Forces last week what they are capable of militarily. They used attack drones to strike a Russian missile factory in the Udmurt Republic –  some 1,300 miles from Kyiv – that builds the hypersonic Iskander-M, pictured, and the Oreshnik missile systems. Ukrainian forces used attack drones to strike the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant in Russia's Udmurt Republic, which produces the advanced missile systems, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

The factory builds the hypersonic Iskander and Oreshnik missile systems. Ukraine’s general staff confirmed the strike in a statement released on Saturday.

“On the night of February 21, units of the Missile Forces and Artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out a strike with FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles. A defense industry enterprise – the Votkinsk Plant in the city of Votkinsk – was hit,” the statement said.

“A fire was recorded on the premises of the facility,” it added. “The results are being clarified.”

The Udmart Republic is located about 770 miles east of Moscow and about 1,300 miles northeast of Kyiv.

The Iskander missile is a mobile system that is carried and launched from atop a large military transport and is capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads with a range of up to 310 miles for some variants. The missile travels at hypersonic speeds of up to Mach 7.

Ukraine’s Armed Forces also struck Russian ships, planes, and artillery units in Russian-occupied Crimea and the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine’s Armed Forces General Staff announced on February. 21.
In Crimea, close to Sevastopol, Ukrainian forces hit two Russian border patrol ships of Project 22460 Hunter, part of the Rubin class of Russian Coast Guard vessels designed to combat surface and airborne threats.
Ukraine previously targeted the same class of ship in December with sea drones, although the General Staff did not confirm if drones were used in the latest attack.
Further north on the peninsula, Ukraine hit two Be-12 Chayka aircraft stationed at the Yevpatoria Aviation Repair Plant. Ukraine first hit Be-12 aircrafts in September 2025, also in occupied Crimea.
The Soviet-designed Be-12 Chayka is an anti-submarine amphibious aircraft equipped with high-value systems used for detecting and engaging submarines. They have been used in combat over the Black Sea.
The final extent of the damage on the Crimean Peninsula is still being assessed, the General Staff said. “The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to systematically reduce the aggressor's combat potential, depriving it of the ability to conduct offensive operations,” they added.

Without Washington’s wholehearted, complete support for Ukraine, without vacillating back and forth about Russia, this war that Russia began in 2022 will continue for years to come. As a few terrorist attacks in recent days have demonstrated, the air, sea and land war can soon degenerate into Russian inspired mob violence. As I wrote on June 20, 2018, “Indeed, Russia could freeze the war and turn the country into a target range with daily drive-by shootings and bombings.”

US Continues to Throw Ukraine under the Bus

You may have thought that writing that President Donald Trump is anti-Ukraine was harsh, but the White House isn’t trying to walk back that impression.

In addition to official audible derogatory Oval Office comments about Ukraine’s defense efforts against Russian aggression, the White House now is seeking to slam NATO’s door shut in Kyiv’s face. The campaign began soon after the Trump Administration took office in 2024.

According to sources, the United States is pressuring its allies not to invite Ukraine to formal meetings at the alliance’s summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7-8, Politico and Kyiv Independent reported citing four Alliance diplomats. If successful, the move would limit Kyiv’s role at the meeting of free world leaders. And it would delight Moscow.

Diplomats cited by Politico said indirect pressure from the US likely played a role in the decision.

According to them, the US also opposes the invitation of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea. The five countries may instead be allowed to take part in lower-level side events. A NATO spokesperson did not deny the reporting in comments to the Kyiv Independent.

NATO also reportedly plans to scrap its traditional public forum — a parallel platform that typically brings together leaders, defense experts, and officials for panel discussions.

One diplomat described the move to the outlet as “very harmful,” warning it could weaken efforts to build public support for NATO's activities and increased defense spending.

The summit in Ankara will mark the second time Turkey hosts NATO leaders.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has attended every NATO summit since the start of Russia’s all-out war, joining in person in 2023 in Vilnius, 2024 in Washington, and 2025 in The Hague, and virtually in 2022.

In 2025, Zelenskyy was not invited to the main leaders’ session. During his visit to The Hague, he held talks with Trump and other top officials. Certainly, the “Coalition of the Willing” will not surrender to Trump’s bullying.

Free world countries consisting of old and new members of the North Atlantic alliance would benefit from a report by the President of Ukraine about his country’s war effort and his view of the future. Zelenskyy demonstrated his vision of the future of peaceful, democratic nations during his Davos and Munich Security Conference addresses.

After all, NATO was created in 1949 as a bulwark against Russian – then Soviet – aggression and expansionism. Today, Ukraine is the only nation-state on earth to stand up to Russia and shed its best sons and daughters’ blood in defense of Europe. America’s insistence that Zelenskyy not be invited is merely Trump’s anti-Ukrainian spitefulness and kowtowing to the Kremlin’s designs. 

Ukraine-Russia Parity is Harmful to Just Resolution of War

From Kyiv’s point of view, Russia’s war should end with honor, dignity and the preservation of Ukrainian sovereign territory. Russia is not entitled to anything simply because it is the perpetrator of this latest crime against Ukraine and humanity.

Consequently, the sooner President Donald J. Trump recognizes this, the sooner peace can return to Ukraine and tranquility to the region.

In reply to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s complaint that the White House is applying too much pressure to settle on Ukraine rather than Russia, the White House spokesperson called the Ukrainian president “unfair.” The White House had hit back at Zelenskyy, the leader of the besieged victim of Russian aggression.

Zelenskyy said Trump’s naive insistence that Ukraine should compromise was “not fair” ahead of trilateral talks in Geneva, which ended abruptly on Wednesday after just two hours.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that Trump believes the war has been “very unfair, not just for the Russians and Ukrainians who have lost their lives, but also for the American people and the American taxpayer who were footing the bill for this war effort before President Trump put a stop to it.”

Unfair for Ukrainians? Yes, the families, children and senior citizens are suffering every night as a result of incessant Russian air raids. Civilians are being killed by Russian cutthroats in their homes, churches, grocery stores, trains, and just on the street. And Leavitt dares to compare this brutality to Russians who have lost their lives. The Trump Administration’s immoral mixing of victims is simply wrong and will not hasten a just conclusion for Ukraine.

By the way, Americans are footing the bill for the military equipment that is being built and assembled in the United States thus providing pay checks for Americans.

In the past, I have written that the American side of the negotiators lacks a clear understanding and knowledge of the issues and bad blood between Ukraine and Russia. I believe this hampers of an outcome favorable to Ukraine. In a comment today, Zelenskyy dismissed what he described as Putin’s “historical shit,” saying he has no interest in debating the past and wants peace talks focused directly on ending the war. However, with the inclusion in the talks of Russian Vladimir Medinsky, chairman of the Interdepartmental Commission on Historical Education of Russia and an ultraconservative historian and a Putin aide, there is no fear that the past would be debated objectively. Medinsky is an official Russian government liar who fabricates and twists historical accounts to suit Moscow’s imperial goals. He authored a fictional account of Russian history to justify the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

In a blunt post on X, Zelenskyy described Russia’s historical arguments as a “delay tactic,” accusing Moscow of using them to stall meaningful negotiations. He argued the only issue worth discussing with Putin is how to bring the war to a swift and successful end. Zelenskyy said debates about history will not accomplish the goal of reaching peace, and will only prolong the process of reaching a resolution.

“I have been to Russia – to many cities. And I knew a lot of people there. He [Putin] has never been to Ukraine this many times. He was only in big cities. I went to small cities. From the northern part to the southern part. Everywhere. I know their mentality. That's why I don't want to lose time on all these things,” Zelenskyy wrote.

Despite Trump’s cheerleading ahead of his view of an imminent cessation of hostilities, senior European intelligence officials said today that they’re skeptical that negotiations will end Russia’s war in Ukraine this year. The heads of five European intelligence agencies told Reuters that Russia is not seeking a rapid end to the conflict and may instead be using negotiations to pursue sanctions relief, commercial opportunities and imperial captures.

The latest round of talks took place in Geneva, but intelligence officials described the process as “negotiation theater,” highlighting a widening strategic gap between European capitals and the White House over Moscow’s intentions. According to several intelligence chiefs, the Kremlin’s core goals remain unchanged: weakening Ukraine’s Western alignment, removing Zelenskyy, and transforming Ukraine into a captive nation and neutral buffer state. Officials emphasized that Moscow neither needs nor wants a quick peace, noting that Russia’s economy, though strained, is not on the verge of collapse. Russia has said it is ready for peace on its own terms, while officials in Moscow argue that European governments have repeatedly misjudged Russian strategy. It is also ready to commit countless Russian citizens from the European portion of its vast empire but more notably from the Asian section to the fight that will only lead to their untimely deaths. 

Russians Officially Return to Paralympics While Ukrainians opt out in Protest

Russia has announced that its Paralympic athletes will return to the 2026 Paralympics while the Ukrainian team will opt out in protest.

Six athletes from Russia and four from Belarus will compete under their national flags at the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games in Milan, despite their countries either waging or supporting Moscow’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed in a statement to multiple media outlets on February 17.

It will mark the first time the Russian flag has flown at the Paralympics since the 2014 Games in Sochi.

In response, Ukraine announced its officials would not travel to the Games, would boycott the opening ceremony, and would abstain from all official Paralympic events.

Ukraine’s national sports minister said Wednesday that officials from the country would not attend the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, in protest over a decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags.

“We thank every government official from the free world who will also boycott the official events of the Paralympics. We continue the fight!” Minister of Youth and Sports Matvii Bidnyi said on February 18. Bidnyi, strongly condemned the decision and said officials from the country would not take part in any Paralympic events, though Ukrainian athletes would still compete.

"The decision by the Paralympics organisers to allow killers and their accomplices to compete at the Paralympic Games under national flags is both disappointing and outrageous,” he wrote on social media. 

Bidnyi emphjasized that Ukrainian athletes — who have often performed well in Paralympic competition, finishing second on the medals table at the 2022 Beijing Games — would not take part in the boycott.

Some European officials also condemned the decision to let Russian and Belarusian athletes compete under their flags - which could, if the country takes a gold medal, see the first playing of Russia's national anthem at an Olympic or Paralympic event in years.