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Calls for a just peace
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From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
Ukrainian Ambassador to Nigeria Ivan Kholostenko has said it has been four years of full-scale war between Ukraine and Russia, adding that Ukraine has endured and continues to fight.
In a statement issued in Abuja to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the war, Kholostenko stated that February 24, 2026, will mark four years since the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“On this day in 2022, Russian troops launched a massive offensive from the north, east, and south, attacking Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Kherson, and other Ukrainian cities. Since then, the war has claimed the lives of both military personnel and civilians on a daily basis, destroyed critical infrastructure, energy facilities, schools, and hospitals, and forced millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes,” Kholostenko said.
The Ukrainian envoy further said, “For the fourth consecutive year, Ukraine has been living under the conditions of a full-scale war. Yet despite all the trials and hardships, the state has endured and continues to fight.”
He also said at the same time, the Ukrainian side emphasised that the war did not begin in 2022, adding that the first acts of armed aggression against Ukraine were recorded on 19–20 February 2014, including the crossing of Ukraine’s state border in the area of the Kerch Strait by Russian military units, followed by the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
“Over the next eight years, hostilities continued in eastern Ukraine. Parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions remained occupied, where Russia promoted the narrative of so-called ‘people’s republics’. According to the Ukrainian assessment, the full-scale invasion of 2022 merely exposed the Kremlin’s true objective—the destruction of Ukrainian statehood and the redrawing of borders by force.
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“During four years of large-scale war, Ukraine has managed to thwart plans for the rapid capture of its capital and the collapse of its state institutions. The Ukrainian Defence Forces repelled the assault on Kyiv, liberated significant territories in the north and south, and continue to contain the aggressor in the east and south. The war has profoundly transformed Ukrainian society: a large-scale volunteer movement, the development of the defence industry, and the introduction of cutting-edge technologies on the battlefield have become part of the country’s new reality.
“Over the years of the full-scale war, the Ukrainian army has gained unprecedented combat experience while confronting an adversary with numerical and resource superiority. The Ukrainian Defence Forces have demonstrated the ability to adapt rapidly, implement innovative solutions, and operate effectively in the conditions of modern high-intensity warfare.
“At the same time, Ukraine has dramatically accelerated the development of its defence industry, focusing on asymmetric solutions, large-scale unmanned systems, and rapid battlefield innovation. Maritime drones such as Magura V5 and Sea Baby have reshaped naval warfare in the Black Sea, enabling precision strikes that pushed Russia’s Black Sea Fleet away from Sevastopol and weakened its regional dominance. At the same time, new strike and reconnaissance UAVs, including projects like Flamingo, and initiatives such as ‘Allies of Steel’ have expanded the use of ground robotic systems for logistics, evacuation, and demining. As a result, Ukraine has become a specialist at modern warfare, where drones, AI-enabled tools, and adaptive tactics are transforming its Armed Forces into one of the most battle-tested and capable militaries in Europe,” the envoy also said.
Kholostenko, however, said that, even against this backdrop, Kyiv declared its readiness for peace while clearly defining the conditions under which it can be achieved.
Commenting on his government’s position regarding peace negotiations, the ambassador emphasised: “We clearly state: we need a just peace, not a ‘freeze’; peace is possible only on the condition of the full withdrawal of Russian troops, accountability for war crimes, and our territories remaining Ukrainian, even if temporarily occupied.”
He added that at the same time, the war has exposed a profound crisis in the existing international security system. Mechanisms designed to prevent aggression and ensure respect for international law have proven insufficient.
“The events of recent years show that the global security architecture requires fundamental rethinking and renewal, as old instruments no longer provide adequate protection of peace and stability.
“The fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion serves as a reminder that the war against Ukraine is not merely a regional conflict but one with global implications. For Ukraine, it is a struggle for independence and territorial integrity; for the world, it is a test of whether international law and the system of collective security are capable of resisting open aggression,” he concluded.
