Zelensky dangles hope for life after Russia’s invasion: Land ‘without tanks,’ sky ‘without rockets’

Zelensky, in an almost lyrical speech while wearing an olive-green military-style T-shirt, said Ukraine has been thrust into suffering “that no other European nation has seen in 80 years.” While Ukrainians had “never dreamt of killing,” they had no choice but to “wipe out the enemy from our land and from our life” amid Russia’s invasion, he said.

“How many more deaths and losses are needed to secure the sky above Ukraine?” he asked, ramping up calls for help to counter Russian air raids.

In an apparent appeal to European leaders and their citizens, he asked: “How are peaceful people in Kharkiv or Mykolaiv different from those in Hamburg or Vienna?”

What to know about Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s TV president turned wartime leader

During his speech, the 44-year-old actor turned wartime leader, who was elected in April 2019, referenced the flag of Ukraine, two bands of bright yellow and blue.

The flag, Zelensky said, resembled land and sky. A place of peace, “without tanks” and “without rockets,” he said. “That’s how it was and how it will be,” he vowed.

In recent days, supporters of Ukraine have carried its flag through the streets of countries around the world during antiwar protests from Britain to Malaysia and Tokyo to South Africa.

Other supporters of Ukraine have embraced its national flower, the sunflower, as a symbol of resistance and hope. Some people are wearing them stitched into their clothing, while others are painting them and planting them so that more can grow.