Ukraine’s national flag flies in Independence Square in Kyiv, August 24, 2025

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EA-Ukraine VideoCast: A Federov-Musk Scheme v. President Zelensky?

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I joined Ukrainian journalist Daniel Tkiie on Monday to celebrate Ukraine Independence Day and to evaluate resistance against Russia’s 54-month full-scale invasion.

I discuss what the 35th anniversary of independence means for Ukrainians, as they stand up to the Kremlin, and for Europeans.

Ukraine’s resistance of Russia is a message for others in Europe. You don’t have to bow down to the threats of an aggressor. You don’t have to surrender.

I evaluate Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s comment that Vladimir Putin is mortal: “First and foremost, it is a marker that Putin has lost, even as he won’t stop the invasion.”

I note UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s comments on Independence Day, linking Ukraine’s resistance to Britain’s during Germany’s Blitz in 1940-1941, as the Kremlin worries about London’s support for Kyiv.

And I evaluate the latest indication from Putin that he will not accept a ceasefire based on current frontlines.