Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders mark the 4th anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Kyiv, February 24, 2026
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The Trump Administration marked the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine by abstaining on a UN resolution supporting Kyiv.
The General Assembly adopted the resolution, backing Ukraine’s international borders and expressing concern over Russian attacks on civilians and energy infrastructure, by a vote of 107-12 with 51 abstentions. Russia, Belarus and Sudan were among the No votes, while China was alongside the US in abstention.
I am grateful to each of the 107 countries that stood with Ukraine today in defense of life at the @UN.
The General Assembly adopted our resolution in support of a lasting peace, with clear calls for a full ceasefire and the return of our people.
These are the right and… pic.twitter.com/s5tmD1Bymm
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 24, 2026
UN Secretary General António Guterres, describing the invasion “as a stain on our collective conscience”, emphasized the calls for an immediate ceasefire. He told the Security Council that concrete measures are needed to de-escalate attacks and create space for diplomacy, noting that more than 15,000 civilians have been killed and more than 41,000 injures. Among the casualties are 3,200 children.
But Deputy US Ambassador Tammy Bruce said that while the Trump Administration welcomed the appeal for an immediate ceasefire, the UN resolution would distract from negotiations, “rather than support discussion of the full range of diplomatic avenues that may pave the way to that durable peace”.
In his 108-minute State of the Union address, Donald Trump spent 20 seconds on Ukraine, falsely declaring that the Russian invasion would not have occurred if he had been President in 2022.
Zelensky to Trump: Visit Kyiv
A series of European leaders visited Kyiv on Tuesday or joined UKraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in a video conference of the Coalition of Willing.
I am grateful to the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council – Ursula @vonderLeyen and António Costa @eucopresident – that you have come to Ukraine on this day – 4 years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Europe has stood with… pic.twitter.com/EJDWsRowYx
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 24, 2026
The Trump camp did not participate in either occasion.
In his 18-minute video address marking the anniversary, Zelensky invited Trump to come to Kyiv. Neither Trump nor his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have been to Ukraine during Russia’s invasion — in contrast, real estate developer Witkoff has visited Vladimir Putin eight times, joined by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on some occasions.
Zelensky said:
I really want to come here with the president of the United States one day. I know for certain: only by coming to Ukraine, and seeing with one’s own eyes our life and our struggle, feeling our people and the enormity of this pain – only then can one understand what this war is really about.
A trip to Ukraine might make it clear to Trump “who the aggressor is here and who must be pressured”, the President explained.
