Volodymyr Zelenskyy has invited Donald Trump to Kyiv, saying a visit could clarify 'who the aggressor is' in the war with Russia. In a video address marking the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian president said Vladimir Putin had not achieved his original goals or broken the Ukrainian people.
Zelenskyy recalled receiving a phone call from Joe Biden offering to help him leave Ukraine in the early hours of the invasion, to which he replied: 'I need ammunition, not a ride.' The 18-minute address included previously unseen footage from the underground bunker where Zelenskyy and his advisers worked and slept during the first hours of the attack.
The Ukrainian leader rejected any negotiations that would betray his country, telling negotiators in Geneva: 'Do not nullify all these years, do not devalue all the struggle, courage, dignity, everything that Ukraine has gone through.' He stressed that Ukraine wants 'strong, dignified, lasting peace' and that Russia must be pressured into ending the war.
European leaders, including Germany's Friedrich Merz and France's Emmanuel Macron, echoed Zelenskyy's defiance, with Merz declaring Moscow is not as strong as it claims. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy welcomed a group of European leaders to Kyiv, including UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia would press ahead with its war aims, as 'the goals haven't been fully achieved yet'. Putin, in state media comments, accused Ukraine of sabotaging peace efforts with western help.
