We are expecting Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte to speak on the fourth anniversary shortly.

I will bring you the key lines here.

Morning opening: Four long years

Jakub Krupa

It’s the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, when Russian hoped to take the country in three days, and 12 years since the preceding Russian attack on Crimea.

As Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his special address this morning:

“Looking back at the beginning of the invasion and reflecting on today, we have every right to say: we have defended our independence, we have not lost our statehood; Putin has not achieved his goals.

He has not broken Ukrainians; he has not won this war. We have preserved Ukraine, and we will do everything to secure peace and justice.”

Several European leaders are expected in Kyiv to mark the anniversary; others will be joining the fourth anniversary meeting of the Coalition of the Willing via a video link.

We will hear from Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, among others, as they no doubt pay tribute to the people of Ukraine.

But, despite the intentions, the EU failed to agree a new package of sanctions to put more pressure on Russia after Hungary’s Viktor Orbán vetoed the proposal over a separate dispute about oil transit through Ukraine.

I will bring you all the key lines here.

If you want to re-live the last hours before the invasion, you can read Shaun Walker’s brilliant story on how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them.

Shaun will be joining me for a Q&A to answer your questions from 2pm UK time.

It’s Tuesday, 24 February 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.

Good morning.