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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared a video on social media on Friday in which he offered a message of resilience 100 days after the Russian invasion and announced that “victory” would belong to Ukraine.
The video directly mirrors a clip released by the Ukrainian leader on the second day of the war, in which Zelensky appears alongside his prime minister and other members of his core team and walks the streets of Kyiv, despite rumors that the city is nearby fall or that he might flee the country.
Back then, the goal of his message was clear: to show, beyond fear and doubt, that he was determined to stay and fight. This time, Zelenskyy’s video serves as a reminder that Russia’s early goals have failed and that Ukrainians will continue to fight even if Russia occupies a third of the country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a video on February 25 in which the leader said he was among those who continued to defend Kyiv. (Video: The Washington Post)
When Zelenskyy is back on the streets of Kyiv in front of the presidential building, he introduces his top officials again.
“The leader of the [our parliamentary] faction is here, the head of the President’s Office is here, Prime Minister of Ukraine Shmyhal is here, [presidential adviser] Podolyak is here, the President is here,” he says while his team stands behind him in the same position as in the February 25 video. “The Armed Forces of Ukraine are here. The most important thing is our people; the people of our state are here.”
“We have been defending Ukraine for 100 days,” he says. “The victory will be ours.”
Scenes of the downfall and resilience of 100 days of war in Ukraine
Although the new video mirrors the old one, notable differences show how the war has progressed. The first was taken at dusk on the deserted streets of Kiev, as the President and his staff were bathed in the soft yellow glow of street lamps and dressed in the military attire befitting a war leader.
In the new video, Zelenskyy and his top officials are dressed more casually on a bright early summer day. The President of Ukraine looks less tired than he did on February 24, although he may be older than the 98-day gap would allow.
Russia’s early forays into Kyiv in late February and early March quickly faltered. Some experts believe that Moscow had calculated that the capital would fall without much fighting and that they were surprised that Zelenskyy stayed in Kyiv and his forces remained loyal in the face of overwhelming odds.
A former actor and comedian, Zelensky has communicated daily with his country through social media and other direct addresses, convincing many who doubted him at the beginning of his presidency.
The Russian armed forces have shifted their focus to the east of the country. On Thursday, Zelenskyy said 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory had fallen to Russia, with fierce fighting over the eastern city of Severodonetsk.
One sentiment among the Russian elite is that President Vladimir Putin hopes a protracted war of attrition will wear down not only Ukraine’s armed forces, but also allies in North America and Europe who have been supplying Kyiv with arms and supplies while easing economic pressures on Russia tighten.
At the end of the video released on Friday, Zelenskyy repeated a patriotic battle cry.
“Honor to Ukraine!” he says.
“Honor the hero!” his team behind him replies in unison.