The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Russia-Ukraine war anniversary No negotiations in sight, Zelensky says, as Biden rules out fighter jets for Ukraine

Key updates
U.S. announces $10 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine
Zelensky downplays prospect of talks with Putin: ‘There is no one to talk to’
A reporter recalls the war’s beginning on the Russian side of the border
At a press conference in Kyiv on Feb. 24, the one-year anniversary of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks about disappointments and mistakes. (Video: The Washington Post)
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Updated February 24, 2023 at 10:14 p.m. EST|Published February 24, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. EST

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine on Friday marked one year since Russia launched its attack, ending decades of relative stability in Europe.

The invasion was “the hardest day of our modern history,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, pledging victory over Russia. In a news conference, he downplayed the possibility of near-term peace talks, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin “is no longer the same person” he once was.

The United States and other allies rallied behind Ukraine, and the Biden administration announced some $10 billion in financial assistance, in addition to $2 billion in military aid. In an interview with ABC News on Friday, President Biden said he has ruled out “for now” sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to help its forces fend off a Russian assault.

U.S. announces $10 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine
Zelensky downplays prospect of talks with Putin: ‘There is no one to talk to’
A reporter recalls the war’s beginning on the Russian side of the border

Here’s what to know

  • China is considering sending Russia lethal military aid in the form of artillery shells as Putin’s army rapidly depletes its supply of ammunition a year into his invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials said, a prospect that has alarmed those in the Biden administration who believe Beijing has the ability to transform the war’s trajectory.
  • Zelensky said Friday he plans to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss outstanding issues between their two countries. Kyiv is focused on ensuring that Beijing doesn’t provide weapons to Moscow, he said — a possibility over which Western leaders have expressed concern in recent days.
  • Ukrainian forces rebuffed Russia’s early attempt to conquer Kyiv and have since recaptured a host of towns and cities. But a year in, Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including parts of the four regions Putin illegally “annexed” in 2022.
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Here's what to know:

China is considering sending Russia lethal military aid in the form of artillery shells as Putin’s army rapidly depletes its supply of ammunition a year into his invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials said, a prospect that has alarmed those in the Biden administration who believe Beijing has the ability to transform the war’s trajectory.
Zelensky said Friday he plans to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss outstanding issues between their two countries. Kyiv is focused on ensuring that Beijing doesn’t provide weapons to Moscow, he said — a possibility over which Western leaders have expressed concern in recent days.
Ukrainian forces rebuffed Russia’s early attempt to conquer Kyiv and have since recaptured a host of towns and cities. But a year in, Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including parts of the four regions Putin illegally “annexed” in 2022.

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One year of Russia’s war in Ukraine

Portraits of Ukraine: Every Ukrainian’s life has changed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion one year ago — in ways both big and small. They have learned to survive and support each other under extreme circumstances, in bomb shelters and hospitals, destroyed apartment complexes and ruined marketplaces. Scroll through portraits of Ukrainians reflecting on a year of loss, resilience and fear.

Battle of attrition: Over the past year, the war has morphed from a multi-front invasion that included Kyiv in the north to a conflict of attrition largely concentrated along an expanse of territory in the east and south. Follow the 600-mile front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces and take a look at where the fighting has been concentrated.

A year of living apart: Russia’s invasion, coupled with Ukraine’s martial law preventing fighting-age men from leaving the country, has forced agonizing decisions for millions of Ukrainian families about how to balance safety, duty and love, with once-intertwined lives having become unrecognizable. Here’s what a train station full of goodbyes looked like last year.

Deepening global divides: President Biden has trumpeted the reinvigorated Western alliance forged during the war as a “global coalition,” but a closer look suggests the world is far from united on issues raised by the Ukraine war. Evidence abounds that the effort to isolate Putin has failed and that sanctions haven’t stopped Russia, thanks to its oil and gas exports.

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