Ukraine wants peace but won't give in, Zelenskiy says on Independence Day
As foreign leaders gathered in Kyiv, Zelenskiy rejected giving up Ukrainian territory and called on allies to strengthen support for the war effort.
Highlights
- Ukraine marks 35 years of independence from the Soviet Union
- Zelenskiy says Kyiv won't accept peace just at any price
- 'Coalition of the Willing' meeting taking place on Monday
Ukraine wants peace but will not just give in to Russia at any price, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a defiant speech today (24 August) as foreign leaders gathered in Kyiv to mark its Independence Day celebrations.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and European Council President Antonio Costa were among the foreign dignitaries present for celebrations of the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's break from the Soviet Union.
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Burnham, making his first visit to the Ukrainian capital as prime minister, was due to announce British support to help Kyiv boost its domestic production of long-range missiles.
He was also scheduled to co-chair a virtual meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing" a group of countries backing Ukraine with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The leaders were expected to discuss Ukraine's request for more air defence systems to stop Russian ballistic missiles pounding Ukrainian cities.
Wearing a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt, Zelenskiy thanked several foreign leaders for travelling to Kyiv to show their support. He vowed to find a solution to what he called Russian President Vladimir Putin's "ballistic terror".
"Ukraine absolutely wants peace, but it is not ready to simply surrender," Zelenskiy said in his video address posted on Telegram, which showed him standing in front of the golden-domed St Michael's monastery.
Zelenskiy said that Russia's demand repeatedly rejected by Ukraine that Kyiv cede the remaining part of the eastern Donbas area that is not in Russian hands after 4-1/2 years of war would not be enough to stop Russian aggression.
"Ukraine is different, and it does not give away what is its own," he said.
Zelenskiy Asks for More Missiles
Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, and swathes of Ukrainian territory have been laid waste, since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.
US led peace talks to bring a lasting end to the war stalled as Ukraine refused Russian demands to cede more territory, and fighting continues along a 750-mile (1,200-km) front line.
Zelenskiy highlighted the achievements of Ukraine's defence industry during the war, including strikes with naval drones and mid- and long-range strikes deep inside Russia, but said there was more work to do.
He urged Ukrainian arms manufacturer Fire Point to accelerate production of its Flamingo cruise missile to take the fight to Russia this winter.
Burnham signalled on Monday he would allow the use of classified British technology for Kyiv to start production of European SCALP long-range cruise missiles by Ukraine.
The Kremlin said the use of classified British technology would "add fuel to the fire", and has warned London of "consequences" for supplying drones to Kyiv.
Tribute to Ukrainian People
Russia's advances on the battlefield have slowed this year and Ukraine has recaptured some land in the southeast. But Moscow's forces are threatening the strategic eastern city of Kostiantynivka in the eastern region of Donetsk which forms part of Donbas, together with the Luhansk region.
Exploiting Ukraine's critical shortage of anti-ballistic missiles, Russia has also stepped up its campaign of air strikes at cities far from the front line this summer.
Ukraine has also increased its long-range attacks on Russian refineries and logistics infrastructure, aimed at undermining Moscow's war effort. It hit four logistics hubs owned by Russia's second-largest online retailer Ozon in southern Russia in drone strikes on Monday, the company said.
Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukraine's war effort was complicated by a $27-billion defence funding gap this year. He also warned that Russian could look to mobilise some 300,000 additional troops after parliamentary elections in September.
Paying tribute to the people and soldiers defending Ukraine in the war, Zelenskiy called on allies to give it "everything" needed to stop the war. "We are not asking you to fight for us," he said.
Urging allies to bring Russia to the negotiating table and hit it with more sanctions, Zelenskiy said he hoped that the United States will lose "all the contradictions and phobias" regarding Russia. "China must no longer remain silent," he added.
