If Russian President Vladimir Putin thought his conquest of Ukraine was going to be easy, he was sadly mistaken. The courage and resolve of the Ukrainian people as the Russian military carries out its unjustifiable and unprovoked assault on their nation has been the biggest surprise of all.
In the face of near-certain defeat, citizens of the former Soviet state, from trained soldiers to civilians, have repeatedly demonstrated their determination to defend their homeland.
After a particularly brutal night of fighting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a simple but devastating message for Putin on Saturday morning: “We survived the night.”
Zelensky's briefing: "We survived (the night). And we are successfully fighting off the enemy attacks." pic.twitter.com/ZGpoczTePN
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 26, 2022
In a video posted to Instagram, Zelenskyy said, “I can start this address with good news. We withstood and successfully repel enemy attacks. The fighting continues in many cities and districts of our state. But we know what we are defending: the country, the land, the future of children.”
“Kyiv and key cities around the capital are controlled by our army,” he told supporters. “The invaders wanted to block the center of our state and put their puppets here, as in Donetsk. We broke their plan. They did not gain any advantage over us.”
Zelenskyy described the terrible battle of the previous night and the weapons of war that had been unleashed upon them, including missiles, fighter aircraft, drones and artillery. He said the Russians were shelling residential neighborhoods.
“I say this as frankly as possible now: The people of Ukraine have already earned and have the right to become a member of the European Union,” Zelenskyy said. He indicated that he’d spoken with two EU officials and French President Emmanuel Macron about that possibility.
Many Ukrainian cities have been able to repel the Russians, he said, and he called for additional support from anyone who can help.
On Friday, a Ukrainian soldier volunteered to blow up a bridge connecting Crimea to Ukraine in order to slow the Russian advance. The young man, Vitaly Volodymyrovych, knew it was a suicide mission, but he did it anyway — for his country. Zelenskyy paused for a moment of silence and said he would give Volodymyrovych a posthumous award for his heroism.
Finally, he called on the Russian people to do everything in their power to stop this senseless war.
Bombs have fallen on Ukraine for the last three nights and there is no end in sight. People are dying. Fires are still burning. And Zelenskyy is Putin’s No. 1 target. Yet throughout his address, he remained calm and strong and resolute. This is what true leadership looks like.
President Joe Biden has been in contact with Zelenskyy. According to the Daily Mail, he offered to help Zelenskyy escape Kyiv.
The Ukrainian leader reportedly replied, “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.”
Riho Terras, a member of the European Union Parliament, tweeted on Saturday that “Putin is furious, he thought that the whole war would be easy and everything would be done in 1-4 days.”
THREAD 1/7 Intel from a Ukrainian officer about a meeting in Putin’s lair in Urals. Oligarchs convened there so no one would flee. Putin is furious, he thought that the whole war would be easy and everything would be done in 1-4 days. @EPPGroup @general_ben @edwardlucas @politico pic.twitter.com/8AoelUDWM9
— Riho Terras (@RihoTerras) February 26, 2022
6/7 Russia’s whole plan relies on panic – that the civilians and armed forces surrender and Zelensky flees. They expect Kharkiv to surrender first so the other cities would follow suit to avoid bloodshed. The Russians are in shock of the fierce resistance they have encountered.
— Riho Terras (@RihoTerras) February 26, 2022
While the Russians are expected to take Kyiv fairly quickly, the defiance of the Ukrainian people will make a Russian occupation difficult. In other words, good luck maintaining control, Mr. Putin.
The courage of the Ukrainian people is truly inspirational and should remind Americans why we must defend our Second Amendment. This is, ultimately, the purpose of the right to bear arms.
Like the people of Ukraine, it’s possible that one day we too could be called upon to defend our nation.