KYIV, Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on Friday to do everything to defeat Russia this year, as the first highly-sought Leopard battle tanks arrived in Ukraine on the anniversary of Europe´s largest conflict since World War II.
The German-made Leopard tanks from Warsaw rolled in to help Ukraine repel Russian troops as Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited Kyiv to send a “clear and measurable signal of further support”.
Poland will send more tanks soon, Morawiecki said, also offering to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F16 jets, as Western allies underlined their unwavering support. The United States ramped up sanctions on Moscow, this time targeting the country´s banks, military industry and semiconductor access, while the Group of Seven industrialised nations threatened embargo busters with “severe costs”.
Russia remained defiant, with former president Dmitry Medvedev insisting that his country is ready to push its offensive “to the borders of Poland”. Tensions were also building on Ukraine´s border with Moldova. Moscow, claiming Kyiv is plotting to invade the breakaway region of Transnistria, has promised to respond. Moldova denied any threat from Ukraine.
Zelensky said Ukraine will prevail if the West keeps to its pledges on weaponry and financial contributions. “If partners respect all their promises and deadlines, victory will inevitably await us,” Zelensky said during a press conference that started with a minute of silence.
Earlier on Friday, he said in a statement that Ukraine “will do everything to gain victory this year” while Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said his army was gearing up for a counteroffensive.
A year ago to the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin stunned the world by sending troops across the border, a move seen as punishment for Kyiv´s pivot to the West. The war has devastated swathes of Ukraine, displaced millions, turned Russia into a pariah in the West and, according to Western sources, caused more than 150,000 casualties on each side.
Demonstrators protesting against Moscow´s aggression marched in cities across Europe to mark the invasion anniversary. In Berlin, activists placed a Russian tank wreck in front of the Russian embassy.
Crowds fell silent for a minute from Tallinn to London while key buildings across Europe were draped or lit up in the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag. A year ago, Russian troops sought to rapidly install a pro-Moscow regime in Ukraine but failed to conquer Kyiv and subsequently suffered defeats in northeastern and southern Ukraine.
Since October, Russia has pummelled Ukraine´s energy infrastructure, causing power shortages for millions over winter. In a recent Ukrainian poll, nearly one in five said they had lost a loved one in the war. Despite the daily trials, many Ukrainians refuse to be cowed.
In Bucha, where Russia has been accused of widespread atrocities, 64-year-old Galyna Gamulets recalled coming under fire from Russian troops for “more than two weeks”. She voiced pride in her nation and said that “we will succeed” in repelling the invaders.