Ukraine’s president met the prime ministers of Italy, Canada and Belgium in a show of unity after recent battlefield defeats

Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed western leaders to Kyiv on Saturday on the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, declaring that Vladimir Putin “must lose absolutely everything”.

Ukraine’s president met the prime ministers of Italy, Canada and Belgium – Giorgia Meloni, Justin Trudeau and Alexander De Croo – as well as the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

The leaders visited Hostomel airport, near Kyiv, which Russian paratroopers seized at the start of Moscow’s all-out attack. Ukrainian troops regained control of the airfield and thwarted Russian plans to capture the capital.

“Two years ago we met enemy troopers here with fire, and two years later, we are meeting our friends, our partners, here,” Zelenskiy said. He added: “Any normal person wants the war to end. But none of us will allow our Ukraine to end”.