Ukraine defiant after four years of war

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Markiian Chuchuk, on Monday said February 24 marked four years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, describing the conflict as a “flagrant violation” of the UN Charter and vowing that Kyiv would not surrender despite immense human and material losses.

In a statement marking the anniversary, the ambassador said Ukraine had been resisting the invasion for the fifth consecutive year, exercising its inherent right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter. He noted that the war had already lasted longer than the 1941-1945 conflict between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, calling it a sobering historical parallel.

Chuchuk recalled that on March 2, 2022, 141 UN member states adopted the UN General Assembly resolution titled “Aggression against Ukraine,” condemning Moscow’s invasion. However, he said, condemnation alone had failed to halt the violence.

Highlighting the human toll, the ambassador said expert assessments indicated Russian military losses in killed and wounded had exceeded one million personnel. Over the past two years, he added, Russian forces had occupied around 1.5 per cent of Ukraine’s territory, with advances in some sectors measured in mere tens of meters per day.

“Despite vast material and human resources, Moscow has failed to achieve its strategic objectives – the destruction of Ukraine’s statehood and independence,” he said.