AFP

President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed in a speech on Ukraine's Independence Day on Wednesday that his country would face the Russian invasion "to the end" and make "no concession or compromise", in an atmosphere of intense pressure, exactly six months after the war began. On August 24, Ukraine celebrates its independence from the Soviet Union. This day coincides with the passage of six months since the outbreak of the war, which led to thousands of deaths and massive destruction. This comes while the United States is preparing to announce a new military aid to Ukraine worth three billion dollars, the largest that Washington grants to Kiev, while the UN Security Council will hold a session at the request of Washington, Paris and London, especially on Wednesday morning, to mark the six months since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "We don't care what army you have, we only care about our land. We will fight for it to the end," Zelensky said in a video speech. "We have held out hard for six months. It was difficult, but we kept our determination and are fighting for our destiny." He continued, "Every new day gives us a reason not to surrender, and after such a long journey, we have no right not to continue to the end," stressing, "We will not try to reach an understanding with terrorists (...) For us, Ukraine means complete Ukraine with all its 25 regions. Without any concession or compromise. Zelensky had warned on Tuesday evening of "Russian provocations and brutal strikes" on the anniversary of independence, as well as the six months since the start of the invasion. "We must realize that tomorrow (Wednesday) there may be abhorrent Russian provocations and brutal strikes," he said. "We will certainly respond to any manifestations of Russian terrorism," he added. In the early hours of Saturday, explosions were heard in several cities such as Kharkiv (northeast), Zaporizhia and Dnipro (central), according to local authorities. On Tuesday morning, the US embassy in Kyiv also broadcast a message warning that Russia may bomb Ukraine more "in the coming days" and recommended US citizens to leave the country "immediately". Since the withdrawal of Russian forces from the vicinity of the Ukrainian capital at the end of March, the bulk of the fighting has focused in the east, where Moscow advanced slowly before the front froze, and in the south, where Ukrainian forces say they are carrying out a counterattack, which is also very slow. However, Russia continues to target Ukrainian cities with long-range missiles even though Kyiv and its surrounding areas are rarely bombed. In this atmosphere, the word "celebration" does not seem appropriate while residents are staying at home. The Kyiv authorities banned all public gatherings from Monday to Thursday in the capital, while the governor of Kharkiv (central east) imposed a curfew from Tuesday evening to Thursday morning. "In six months, the quiet life of every family was destroyed," said Nina Mikhailovna, 80, in Independence Square in the heart of Kyiv. - New US aid - On this symbolic date, the United States will announce new military aid to Ukraine amounting to about three billion dollars, according to a US official. This would be the largest package of US military aid since the beginning of the war and would allow Kiev to obtain new weapons, funding for training or operations. This money comes from a US Department of Defense (Pentagon) fund that can be used for immediate operations or to obtain weapons. It is different from another fund that allows President Joe Biden to order the immediate transfer of weapons, materials, and equipment from existing stocks to Ukraine. Last Friday, the Pentagon announced $775 million in military aid to Ukraine from this fund. A senior US Defense Department official said this new tranche of aid includes additional missiles for US HIMARs precision artillery systems that have "changed the rules of the game on the battlefield." On Tuesday, the Europeans confirmed their support for the city of Kyiv during the summit of the "Crimea Platform", which brings together the main allies of Ukraine and was present before the invasion of February 24. On Wednesday, Germany repeated assurances of this kind. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his country would support Kyiv "as long as necessary" in the face of the Russian invasion. "Germany stands firmly with Ukraine today and as long as Ukraine needs our support," he said in a video message marking Ukraine's National Day posted on his Twitter account. "We will continue to deliver weapons (...) and train Ukrainian soldiers on advanced European equipment," Schulz added. He is referring to new arms shipments announced by Berlin on Tuesday, worth 500 million euros, part of which will be delivered in 2023. Among the shipments are three "Iris-T" air defense systems, tanks, rocket launchers, ammunition and anti-aircraft devices. "We will continue our sanctions, provide financial support to Ukraine, and help rebuild devastated towns and villages," Scholz stressed. - 'Another reality' - And on the tension around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in central Ukraine, Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday exchanged accusations of endangering it at a Security Council meeting, while the United Nations Secretariat called on the two sides to stop all military activities around the site. The Russian ambassador, Vasily Nebenzia, criticized Westerners who "live in another reality in which the Russian army itself bombs the site it protects." "No one can imagine that Ukraine would target a nuclear power plant, which would lead to a huge risk of a nuclear catastrophe on its territory," Ukrainian Ambassador Sergei Kislitsya replied. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, discussed the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) inspection of the nuclear power plant site. The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said that this visit, which aims to "reduce the risk of a serious nuclear accident in Europe", could take place "in the coming days."