I write this as I am on my way to Kyiv. Tomorrow, Feb 24, will mark the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. And despite Trump’s attempts to ‘negotiate’ an end to the war – remember he had claimed that he would stop the war within 24 hours of taking office? – no such outcome is expected any time soon. That’s because, by all accounts, it is Putin that doesn’t seem to want to end the war. Ukraine has said it is willing to effect a ceasefire along the current frontline in eastern Ukraine. Putin, however, wants Kyiv to give up even those areas of the Donbas it still controls. Moscow knows there is no way Kyiv will agree to this. Around 200,000 Ukrainians still live in the part of the Donbas that Ukraine controls. Plus, this area also hosts a fortress belt of heavily fortified Ukrainian towns and cities that Kyiv will be daft to give up. So, Moscow, essentially, is making demands it knows Kyiv will not be amenable to.
Then there is the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – the largest in Europe – that Russia has taken hostage. A clear case of nuclear blackmail for entire Europe. And finally, Russia has essentially vetoed any proposal that guarantees Ukraine’s future security – it rejects any European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, it has a problem with the size of the Ukrainian army, and it doesn’t want the West to provide Ukraine will serious, tangible military packages that can secure Ukrainians from future attacks. In all of this, Russia, the invading country, the aggressor, is making demands of Ukraine and the West! That’s downright bizarre! And Trump, looking for a quick political win, has largely gone along with Putin’s ploy. But Ukrainians are still resisting and standing strong. There is no question of giving up or backing away from Ukrainian-controlled Donbas or recognising Russian occupation of any internationally-recognised Ukrainian territory. Note that this winter has been terrible for Ukrainians. Russia has relentlessly attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to freeze ordinary Ukrainians in sub-zero temperatures. Yet, the Ukrainians haven’t been broken. They live and thrive as resistance. On the fourth anniversary of the full-scale war, Ukraine stands. And Russia’s strategic objects remain unrealised. As President Zelenskyy has said, Ukrainians are tired, yes, they want peace more than anything else. But they want peace not at the cost of their dignity and sovereignty. It is this resiliency that defines Ukrainians today. Tomorrow in Kyiv, I will once again come face to face with this special Ukrainian spirit – volya. Watch this space for more.
