Image Credit: picture alliance / Contributor / Getty 
Tuesday marks the four-year anniversary of the Ukraine war, and the country’s Dictator Vladimir Zelensky marked the day by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a dictator. Importantly, Zelensky rules Ukraine unelected, refuses to hold elections, and uses the war as justification for his continued reign.
There are many dictatorships in the world. Some seal themselves off within their own borders, trying to block any outside influence of freedom. And others do not recognize borders at all and actively try to destroy the freedom of their neighbors, entire regions, and sometimes even the whole world. When we deal with Russia, we face the second type of threat. It is a mentally unstable dictatorship that cannot accept that in Europe every life matters, human rights are important, and nations can be protected whether they are big or small. Putin cannot accept one simple thing – that somewhere people can live differently and enjoy a life that is not the one he prefers. That is why he has been consistently trying to break someone – not just now, not just for 4 years, but throughout his entire time in power. He is war itself. And anyone who supports Putin cannot fail to understand that they are choosing war.
From my address to the European Parliament.
Unelected Zelensky also marked the anniversary by meeting with the top unelected officials from the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa.
Image credit: dpatop – 24 February 2026, Ukraine, Kiew: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President António Costa shake hands after a press conference. Photo: Ansgar Haase/dpa (Photo by Ansgar Haase/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The Coalition of the Willing met in Ukraine’s capital Kiev on Tuesday as well. The group consists of Zelensky’s European enablers who generally seek to continue the war against Russia.
Embed from Getty ImagesImage credit: KYIV, UKRAINE – FEBRUARY 24: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders hold a Coalition of the Willing meeting on February 24, 2026 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The UK Foreign Secretary joined other European officials visiting the Ukrainian capital on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s large-scale invasion of the country. On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking a massive escalation of a conflict that began with the 2014 annexation of Crimea. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
The group backed Zelensky’s continued refusal to cede land in exchange for peace. On Tuesday Anadolu reported The Coalition of the Willing “pledged sustained backing for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and reiterated that international borders must not be changed by force.”
On February 12 Zelensky announced that no elections will be held until security guarantees are acquired, despite Europe largely agreeing to guarantee Ukraine’s security already. Zelensky, whose term expired in May 2024, is holding onto power under martial law regulations which grant him permanent rule throughout the duration of the conflict.
