On Feb. 20, 2025, Russian Ambassador Andrei Kelin told the BBC that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy started the war.
This is false.
The conflict began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and covertly invaded eastern Ukraine. By 2019, when Zelenskyy won the presidency, the war had been ongoing for five years.
Key events:
- 2014: Russia annexed Crimea, and covert Russian forces seized government buildings in Donbas, escalating tensions.
- 2015: Putin signed the Minsk agreements, which were designed to solidify Russian control over eastern Ukraine.
- 2019: Zelenskyy was elected president, vowing to end the war but refusing to concede to Russia's demands.
- 2022: Putin launched a full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, following months of disinformation campaign and military buildup, dismissing global warnings.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2023 that Russia controlled parts of eastern Ukraine as early as May 2014.
Conclusion: Russia, not Ukraine, initiated the conflict, which escalated significantly in 2022 with Putin’s full-scale invasion.