Ukraine wants peace but won’t ‘simply surrender’, Zelensky says on Independence Day

The country marks 35 years of independence from the Soviet Union as Zelensky vows to find a solution to Putin’s ‘ballistic terror’

⁠Ukraine wants peace but will not just give in to Russia at any price, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said in a defiant speech as foreign leaders gather in Kyiv to mark its Independence Day celebrations.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and European Council President Antonio Costa were among the foreign dignitaries present on Monday for celebrations of the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s break from the Soviet Union.

Burnham, making his first visit to the Ukrainian capital as prime minister, was ‌due to announce British support to help Kyiv boost its domestic production of long-range missiles.

He was also scheduled to co-chair a virtual meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” – a group of countries backing Ukraine – with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The leaders were expected to discuss Ukraine’s request for more air defence systems to stop Russian ballistic missiles pounding Ukrainian cities.

Wearing a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt, Zelensky thanked several foreign leaders for travelling to Kyiv to show their support. He vowed to find a solution to what he called Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “ballistic terror”.