Weapons, sanctions, independence. The Day of the Volunteers in Kyiv

On the 1,643rd day of the war, Ukraine celebrated Independence Day for the fifth time since 2022, with the spectre of a harsh winter looming. For Kyiv, independence means struggle, it means defence, it means war until Russia is forced to make peace; and whilst President Zelensky hosted some of the volunteers in Kyiv and greeted others – including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron – remotely, one message stood out above all others: “Sanctions must be imposed that will make them scream”Sanctions will be imposed; it is now less complicated for Europeans to reach an agreement without the vetoes of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. But they are not enough; weapons are needed, both defensive and offensive: sanctions take time to take effect and require implementation to cause real harm, so in the meantime Kyiv must fight – it has no choice. And it must do so by defending its territory and attacking Moscow’s. Today, Zelensky addressed the Ukrainian people in a lengthy video message; he thanked everyone, spoke of the extraordinary unity of his people and devoted considerable attention to the production capabilities of Kyiv’s defence industry, which has undergone a revolution, though it is still not enough. “Our defence industry today is truly a giant, forging independence 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” said Zelensky. He then added: “And we must do more.” ‘Doing more’ is one of the mantras of this war, in which strength, ingenuity and innovation are never enough. Ukraine has achieved a great deal and now, on certain issues, this ‘more’ is a request to be put to its allies. 

During the meeting of the ‘Willing’, the leaders of the most committed European nations and senior EU officials agreed to implement sanctions against Russia. Macron announced that the first joint military exercises by the ‘Willing’ coalition will take place between October and November, to demonstrate “operational readiness and the capacity to act”.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham was in Kyiv; since taking over from Keir Starmer, he has made it clear that there would be continuity with his predecessor on at least one point: support for Ukraine. And so it proved. The break with Moscow has taken the form of an open confrontation, whilst solidarity with Kyiv is being built through actions. British weapons are striking targets on Russian territory, and now the UK and France have decided to supply Ukraine with classified technology for the production of the Anglo-French cruise missile, which London calls "Storm Shadow" and Paris calls "Scalp". Burnham has announced that the European defence consortium MBDA will share confidential information with Ukraine for the production of certain British-made components, and although there are already some companies collaborating with Kyiv, the Prime Minister’s announcement carries additional significance. Until now, it has mainly been small drone manufacturers that have granted licences to Ukraine; for the first time, information capable of assisting the Ukrainians in the production of missiles will reach Kyiv from Europe’s largest defence consortium. Ukraine has achieved good results with its attacks on Russia; through what it calls ‘long-range strikes’, it has been possible to force the Russians to queue for fuel. It has not broken Putinism, which is holding out and preparing to send more people to the front, but it has painted a picture of a weakened country that has reached as far as the United States and, in the eyes of the Trump Administration, has debunked the Russian lie that there is no other solution to this war apart from Kyiv’s surrender. “Flamingos shouldn’t be a rare species,” said Zelensky, speaking of the Flamingo missiles produced by the Ukrainian company Fire Point, “but birds that arrive in droves.” It is a promise, but for it to be realised, Ukraine needs funding because, even if allied countries begin to share information, production requires funds – especially for missiles, which are less cost-effective than drones, in the design and manufacture of which Kyiv excels. Ukraine is calling on those willing to help to target the sources fuelling Moscow’s war machine, but it is also asking for the money needed for its own defence. Russia believes it will survive this challenge down to the last rouble, and this is where Kyiv’s allies promise to step in down to the last hryvnia. “The message to Putin must be clear: Ukraine will never cede territory that Russia fails to conquer on the battlefield, and negotiations must begin from the line of contact,” assured Burnham, the guest of honour at this Independence Day celebration, spent commemorating the achievements and honouring the losses that made them possible. “We have retained our humanity, even though we could have become monsters,” Zelenskyy told the Ukrainian people, a nation “not of victims, but of fighters”. Resistance, grief, production, rebirth, independence. Ukraine celebrated its “virtuous circle” with its allies, under the Kyiv sun, knowing full well that it is beneath the snow that promises must ultimately be kept.