Today at 18:43
Ukrainians must achieve peace in the war unleashed by the aggressor country Russia against Ukraine, “with strength, wisdom and unity.” This was stated today, February 24, on the third anniversary of the full-scale war, by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the international forum Support Ukraine.
“This year should be the year of the beginning of a real, reliable peace. Putin will not give us this peace, he will not give it in exchange for something. We must achieve peace with strength, wisdom, unity, our cooperation with you,” the Ukrainian leader said.
Zelenskyy emphasized that peace cannot be simply announced in one hour or one day. A reliable peace is more than a ceasefire on the front.
“Unfortunately, this is the reality. If someone tries to do it exactly like that, without any support, it will not work. Without any security guarantees, it will not work. A reliable and lasting peace is much more than silence on the front,” the president noted.
He recalled that since 2014, Russia has violated the ceasefire more than 25 times.
“By the way, when General Kellogg (the US President’s Special Representative for Russia and Ukraine, — ed.) was in Ukraine, I gave him and the President of the United States a document with a list of all the steps to end the hostilities, with specific dates that Russia violated,” the Ukrainian leader emphasized.
Therefore, peace can be a consequence of balanced diplomacy and absolutely clear security guarantees, the president is convinced.
“First, the war continues against Ukraine, and therefore Ukraine must be at the negotiating table together with Europe. Russia’s strategic target is Europe, the European way of life. This means that their security and the fate of Europe cannot be determined without Europe. Ukraine, Europe, together with America — we must be at the negotiating table opposite Russia, so that the need for peace is not again talked about by promises of normalization, reset or reconciliation,” Zelenskyy summed up.
Statements by European leaders at the international forum Support Ukraine:
“We must achieve peace through strength and wisdom, there is no trust in Russia,” – Zelenskyy
- Russia must release all our prisoners, we are ready for an “all-for-all” exchange.
- Putin will not give us peace, he will not offer it in exchange for anything.
- Ukraine, Europe, and the U.S. must sit at the negotiation table opposite Russia, so that the need for peace cannot again be obscured by promises of normalization, reset, or appeasement.
- Ukraine deserves not only EU membership but also the security guarantees provided by NATO.
The Lithuanian president proposed that Ukraine join the EU on January 1, 2030.
We must urgently provide Ukraine with modern weapons and the ability to strike at long distances, – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda
Canada will provide Ukraine with 25 LAV III armored vehicles, 4 F-16 simulators, ammunition, and $5 billion in frozen Russian assets, – Trudeau
- Australia has announced the largest sanctions package against Russia since 2022, targeting 70 individuals and 79 organizations.
- New Zealand has also imposed sanctions on Russia.
- Sweden will provide Ukraine with air defense systems, including Robot 70 and Tridon Mk2, worth approximately $113 million.
- Finland is transferring €4.5 million to Ukraine. The funds will support the restoration of infrastructure, public services, and European integration.
“Putin has lost the war, Ukraine will be in the EU and NATO,” – President of Finland Stubb
He stated that Russia will not stop at Ukraine if it gets what it wants and presented a three-level plan for resolution:
- Before Ceasefire – sanctions, pressure on Russia, military support for Ukraine.
- Ceasefire – defining the line of demarcation, monitoring, prisoner exchange, return of kidnapped children.
- Peace process – reconstruction, possible negotiations on territories and sanctions.
For three years, Russia has wanted to plunge Ukraine into darkness. That is why the European Commission has prepared an ambitious energy security package, – Ursula von der Leyen
The goal is to guarantee a sustainable, secure and competitive energy system for Ukraine together. During this winter, we have already provided 1.8 gigawatts. But now we will fully integrate the Ukrainian and Moldovan electricity markets into our European one by the end of next year, – the President of the European Commission emphasized.
Britain is ready to send its troops to Ukraine along with other European countries to guarantee security, – Starmer.
There is a risk that peace in Ukraine could be more dangerous than the current war, said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
“I have to be honest and say that I don’t believe Putin. I don’t think he wants peace in Ukraine. I understand that many people think a peaceful solution or a ceasefire sounds like a good idea, but we risk that peace in Ukraine is actually more dangerous than the war that is happening now,” Frederiksen said.
Aid packages
The UK will provide Ukraine with $5.6 billion in military aid this year. Prime Minister Starmer also announced the largest package of sanctions since the first days of the war against the Russian shadow fleet and Russian and Chinese companies supplying military components.
Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez announced a billion euros in aid to Ukraine in 2025. He also announced the creation of a Ukrainian hub in the province of Alicante.
Norway will allocate 3.5 billion euros in 2025 to support Ukraine, including a billion for humanitarian support and 300 million for energy, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said.
Sweden will transfer another more than 100 million euros for air defense, Prime Minister Kristersson announced. it will include the Robot 70 and Tridon Mk2 anti-aircraft missile systems. This decision became part of a large-scale military support plan for 2024-2026, the total budget of which is approximately €6.7 billion.
Denmark will provide Ukraine with about $285 million for weapons and ammunition, the government said in a statement.
Read also: Main points from President Zelenskyy’s press conference
As reported earlier, on February 24, on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, a meeting of the leaders of Ukraine’s partner countries is taking place in Kyiv. Its main topic was security guarantees and the future of collective security. Leaders and delegations from 13 countries came to the summit. Representatives of another 24 countries are taking part in the forum online.
