Zelensky Encourages Ukrainian Perseverance as Putin Declares Russia Prepared for Long War

As the war between Russia and Ukraine enters its second year, both sides continue to suffer heavy losses and show no signs of backing down.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a Christmas video address urging his people to stand firm and keep faith in an eventual victory over Russian forces, while air-raid sirens sounded across Ukraine.

It was not immediately clear whether Russia had struck Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials had warned that Russia would try to make the Christmas and New Year period as miserable as possible for Ukrainian civilians, targeting the population far behind the front lines.

In his address, Zelensky mixed the somber with the rousing, recognizing the price his country was paying for resisting Russia’s 10-month invasion while pledging it would continue.

Thousands of Ukrainian families are celebrating the holidays after losing friends or relatives to the war, with Western estimates putting the number of Ukrainian service personnel killed or injured at around 100,000, and thousands of civilians also having lost their lives.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin signalled that Moscow remains committed to the war, saying that the Russian population is prepared to endure a protracted conflict.

Putin recently promised to provide the Russian military with any means necessary to win the war.

In an interview with state television, Putin said he is open to talks on ending the war, which is now entering its 11th month, as he has said repeatedly in recent weeks. “We are ready to negotiate with all the participants in this process about some acceptable outcomes,” he said. “But this is their business. It’s not we who refuse negotiations, but they.”

At the same time, however, Putin doubled down on the invasion and said he believes Russians are prepared to support a prolonged war. “Just about everyone, or “99.9% of Russians,” he said, is “ready to put everything toward the interests of the motherland.”

In addition to targeting Ukraine’s power grid and civilian infrastructure, Russia has also threatened to destroy all Patriot missile defense systems provided by the US to Ukraine.

The White House has promised one of the highly advanced batteries, which would significantly boost Ukraine’s air-defense capabilities as Moscow continues to pursue its campaign targeting civilian infrastructure.

Ukrainian officials maintain that Russian forces have not managed to destroy even one of the Himars rocket launchers provided by the US, despite repeated attempts.

As the conflict continues, both sides have accused the other of violating cease-fire agreements and of using disproportionate force. The fighting has displaced thousands of civilians and caused widespread destruction in the region.

Despite the ongoing conflict, Zelensky vowed that Ukraine will continue to resist and persevere, saying, “We’ll celebrate our holidays as always. We’ll laugh and enjoy ourselves as always. With only one difference: We won’t wait for a miracle, since we’re creating it ourselves.”

The war between Russia and Ukraine began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, a region that had been part of Ukraine since the breakup of the Soviet Union.

The annexation led to widespread protests in Ukraine and a conflict that has continued to escalate over the years. While the conflict has received relatively little attention in the Western media, it has had a devastating impact on the people of Ukraine, with both sides suffering heavy losses and the civilian population bearing the brunt of the fighting.

As the conflict enters its second year, it remains to be seen whether the two sides will be able to come to an agreement and end the fighting. In the meantime, both Zelensky and Putin have called on their respective populations to continue to stand strong and persevere, with Zelensky urging Ukrainians to create their own miracle and Putin saying that Russians are prepared to put everything toward the interests.