On the morning of February 24, 2022, dozens of Russian helicopters landed at Antonov Airport -Hostomel-, on the outskirts of kyiv.. The objective was to create an air bridge and a logistics hub to complete the capture of the capital in just 72 hours after the start of the invasion and bombings.. Victory seemed certain, but the Ukrainian resistance, prepared thanks to warnings from North American Intelligence, managed to surround the aggressor, shoot down some of its transports and prevent the massive arrival of troops, giving them room to regroup and coordinate the response.
Russia, with its divisions launched from Belarus, was about to complete the pincer and laid siege until April, but the battle has gone down in the books as a success and an example of preparation, courage and perseverance. The area, controlled since then, is one of the symbols of the war, along with Irpín or Bucha.
That is why Hostomel was the place chosen this Saturday by President Zelensky to commemorate the second anniversary of an entrenched war.. Ukraine remembers and honors its fallen with sadness, helplessness and a lot of anger, but it does not do it alone. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in kyiv this Saturday, her seventh trip since the invasion, not to reach out, but to continue holding the hand of her neighbors and, perhaps, future community partners. She was accompanied by the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander de Croo, whose country holds the temporary presidency of the EU Council; the Italian Giorgia Meloni, who holds the presidency of the G7 right now and who, precisely, led a videoconference meeting with world leaders from here; and also the Canadian Justin Trudeau, as a symbol of transatlantic support.
Two years of war, of pain, of hundreds of thousands of victims, millions of displaced people and countless destruction. Two years of horror, savage crimes, barbarism in the occupied areas and incalculable losses. Two years, also, of continued, firm and even surprising support for Ukraine, from North America and from Europe. Two years of sanctions against Moscow, economic war, rivalry on the geopolitical board and reconfiguration of alliances. Two years in which the West has certainly not done everything it could or at the necessary speed, and has hesitated, failed on several occasions, but in which it went further than anyone dreamed, all imaginable red lines were broken and He stood up to the aggressor in a way that was not done in 2008 or 2014.
The situation on the front is very difficult, political doubts are increasing and even kyiv's great hope, the opening of EU accession negotiations, is delayed and complicated.. It is one of the most delicate moments, and the Foreign and Defense Ministers, of the EU but also of NATO, do not hide their concern. Russia, which seemed sunk in 2022, seems to be regaining momentum, receiving support from North Korea, Iran or China and rearming and reorganizing.
International support
Hence the need for the presence of world leaders on the outskirts of the capital, among the open guts of the legendary Antonov destroyed by Russian aviation, national pride for decades.. Between the charred tanker vehicles that still surround the runways and the half-demolished buildings with thousands of bullet holes on their facades. The war began in the air, the first battle was over an airfield, and the war today is largely fought between drones and distant shots.. Not by chance, just a few hours before, the Ukrainians were celebrating the downing of a Russian A-50, one of the Russian spy planes, over the Sea of Azov.
This weekend's Zelensky is a slow-paced man, much calmer than in previous summits. He doesn't have everything he wants, he doesn't have everything he needs, but he was full of thanks and praise to his neighbors and allies.. He needs them more than ever and there were no insults, personal attacks, put-downs or moral blackmail.
The presence of everyone, accompanying the soldiers who participated in the battle and who received some of the highest military decorations in a simple ceremony, in Hostonel in the morning, in the Mariyinski presidential palace at noon, along with the rest of the G7 in the late in a videoconference, it was symbolic, yes, but not only that. Children do not eat symbolism, salaries are not paid with iconic images and armored marches do not stop with hope and tweets from the couch.
Canada and Belgium took advantage of the displacement to sign 10-year military cooperation agreements, as all allies are doing little by little.. “War cannot be won with symbols, facts are also needed,” said the Italian Meloni, attacking those who, especially in her country, enlist in the false flag of peace.. “Peace cannot be surrender and we will never support it,” he promised.. Von der Leyer used her meetings to talk about the negotiating framework for the opening of accession negotiations, which she will present in March with the aspiration of being able to start in the summer, later than expected.. But also from the 50 billion euro assistance fund for the next four years that the 27 approved this month and whose first check will also be sent in just a few weeks.
pride and pain
The second anniversary, “of pride and pain”, is, as they said at the commemorative events, a true black swan, a phenomenon impossible to anticipate that changed everything.. The war has shaken the world board drastically, but if there is something predictable in the international order it is Russian imperialist aggressiveness. The swan was the Ukrainian resistance, which did not fall in a week as almost everyone, and all world leaders, thought 104 weeks ago. “They destroyed the Antonov, the largest plane in the world, but they have not destroyed your dream,” said Von der Leyen, optimistically.. This week, two years ago, the invasion began, but this same week, a decade ago, Ukrainians were already dying from bullets in the city center and sacrificing themselves to recover their democracy in the streets.
The rush is on these days in Europe to try to increase the production of weapons and ammunition. There are promises but they are not taken to the ground, not to the expected or committed level. A million drones and a million of the projectiles most used by defenses are aspired, but for that we must scale production and truly move to war manufacturing economies. Asked about this, Zelensky was clear. Without histrionics, exaggerations or too many complaints. “What do we need? Above all, that help arrives on time. It's difficult, we understand, but it's vital. I'm not accusing anyone either, but we urgently need anti-aircraft defenses to defend our cities.. In places like Kharkiv we need long-range weapons, because the Russians can hit us, but we can't hit back.. And we need to completely isolate Putin, so that no one profits from behind-the-scenes deals,” he said during the final appearance.
The Ukrainian Government and its army, shaken by replacements, controversies, disinformation campaigns, tensions and jealousy, need to raise morale, that of the troops, that of the citizens and that of the millions of Europeans or North Americans who empathize with the cause. , but they are easily distracted and from a comfortable distance they do not perceive the urgency, what is at stake. The circumstances are not favorable, but if anyone masters the art of seduction, motivation, epic, it is Zelensky. And this Saturday he demonstrated it again. He, in the middle of a gigantic desert area, alone among his soldiers and the international delegations. He, alone with his cell phone, recorded a five-minute video with an extraordinary emotional charge. Speaking to his compatriots, one by one, to declare his pride and admiration. And sending a message to anyone who would listen.
“We all have different memories about the start of the war, millions of stories about where we were, what we were doing and who we called on February 24, but there will only be one story when it comes to an end, one shared by all: victory. Here, better than anywhere else, you understand. The metal didn't hold up,” he said in front of the destroyed planes, “but the Ukrainians did.” There is no need for prophets or pirouettes, he said, but simply to follow the famous maxim of Taras Shevchenko, the bard and hero of independence: “Keep fighting and we will undoubtedly win. They can burn the planes, but not our dreams.”