The war in Ukraine entered its second year on Friday with no end to the conflict in sight.
President Volodymyr Zelensky vows to defeat everyone.
President Vladimir Putin declared that direct dialogue with Ukraine is the safest way to resolve the crisis, but at the same time he did not announce a retreat from the war and announced a plan to deploy new ballistic missiles with intercontinental heads, the SMART model, this year. He also suspended Russia’s participation with the United States in the New START Treaty, which is the Strategic Arms Reduction and Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty, as a response to Western actions once morest his country.
World leaders prepared to impose new sanctions on Russia and countries that support its war effort.
Zelensky, in a televised message, says, “We are strong. We are ready for anything. We will defeat everyone.”
As battles raged on the contact lines in eastern and southern Ukraine, Ukraine’s allies strengthened their support for Kiev, symbolically and practically. Paris lit up the Eiffel Tower in the colors of the Ukrainian flag and in London people gathered wearing Ukrainian flags holding a banner saying: “If you stand for freedom, stand with Ukraine”. And the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted by a large majority a resolution on Thursday calling for Russia to withdraw and stop the fighting.
US President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet remotely today, Friday, with G7 leaders, with Zelensky on the anniversary and announcing new sanctions once morest Russia and those who support it in the war, while mobilizing more weapons and ammunition.
In light of this escalation, China called for dialogue, and the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that dialogue and negotiations are the only effective way to resolve the conflict, as the crisis must not get out of control. On the first anniversary of the war, China called in a 12-point document presented by the Chinese Foreign Ministry for a comprehensive ceasefire and the start of dialogue.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to announce a “speech of peace” later in the day, in which he is likely to call for peace while avoiding condemnation of Russia.
In his first reaction, Zelensky said Thursday that he wanted to discuss this document on China’s position with Beijing, considering the participation of this close partner of Moscow as “positive”.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the document “might have stopped at the first point, respect for the sovereignty of all nations.”
: Getty Images
