Zelenskiy marks war anniversary
Ukraine will not betray the sacrifices made by its people in four years of war just to make peace with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed on Tuesday, as divisions among his key allies overshadowed commemorations of the start of the conflict.
European nations had hoped to agree a fresh package of sanctions against Russia as well as a $106 billion loan for Ukraine but Hungary, which maintains close ties with Moscow, had on Monday kept up its veto on both.
Hungary and neighbouring Slovakia accuse Kyiv of deliberately blocking Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline, which Ukraine says it is trying to repair after a Russian strike last month.
Zelenskiy was due to welcome dignitaries from Western Europe, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in Kyiv for ceremonies to mark the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. But in contrast to previous years, no major Western leaders were expected.
"Putin has not achieved his goals. He has not broken the Ukrainian people. He has not won this war," Zelenskiy said in a morning address, extending an invitation to U.S. President Donald Trump to come to Kyiv:
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