Zelenskyy says Putin failed as Ukraine marks fifth year of war

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked the start of the war’s fifth year by delivering a social-media video address declaring that his Russian counterpart had failed to achieve his objectives and that Ukraine would not be broken. “We have defended our independence, we have not lost our statehood; Putin has not achieved his goals. He has not broken Ukrainians; he has not won this war,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Kyiv would “do everything to secure peace and justice. Glory to Ukraine!”

The address came as months of U.S.-led negotiations, relaunched last year, have made little clear progress on the core sticking points and have so far failed to halt the fighting. The conflict, which began with Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022 invasion, has inflicted staggering human and physical costs: “Hundreds of thousands have died on both sides,” Zelenskyy said in the address, and much of eastern and southern Ukraine has been destroyed, leaving Kyiv with a mammoth reconstruction task.

Zelenskyy framed his calls for peace in terms of dignity and acceptance, saying, “We want peace. Strong, dignified, and lasting peace,” and warning that any agreement “must not simply be signed, it must be accepted by Ukrainians.” He also urged external actors to demonstrate commitment on the ground, asking for visits by prominent partners as a sign of political backing.

Domestically, the president is confronting mounting political pressure that risks weakening his bargaining position. An election that had been scheduled for early 2024 was postponed under martial law, and figures close to Zelenskyy have been ensnared in reports of a massive corruption scandal that NBC-style reporting says has dented public confidence. The re-emergence of Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhny, the former chief military commander and widely viewed potential rival, has further complicated the picture; Zaluzhny has accused the president of targeting him and of undermining a counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 that had the potential to change the course of the war.

Kyiv-based political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko captured the tone now evident in the presidency: “His temperament calls for faster solutions. That’s where impatience and irritation come from.” That impatience, expressed publicly by the president, underscores a widening gap between Zelenskyy’s vow to preserve Ukrainian statehood and the slow pace of diplomatic progress.

On the ground, veterans and front-line troops portray a different kind of exhaustion. One soldier who survived a sniper wound, identified in reporting as Kashkarov, spoke of daily loss. “I get upset,” he told an interviewer. An observer, Williams, replied, “It's a lot of pain.” Kashkarov answered, “Especially ... young brothers in arms dead, and a lot of them. On a daily basis. 'It's like - ah - what the hell.'”

Market and policy implications of the stalemate are immediate: the scale of destruction makes reconstruction a long-term fiscal and logistical challenge for Ukraine and its international backers, while stalled talks prolong uncertainty that weighs on investor confidence and donor commitments. Washington’s involvement in relaunching talks last year signals continued U.S. diplomatic focus, but without progress on territorial disputes the conflict is likely to keep redirecting political energy toward mobilization and recovery rather than rapid normalization.

As the war enters its fifth year, Zelenskyy’s public frustration highlights a central paradox for Kyiv: maintaining domestic resolve and international support while trying to convert battlefield resilience into a sustainable and politically acceptable peace.