March 16, 2022: Zelenskyy interview with Lester Holt
NBC Nightly News Anchor, Lester Holt hosted an exclusive interview with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy which aired during the Wednesday evening broadcast.   
With the current and future condition of Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv at an elevated risk, the fear is if Kyiv falls into Russian hands, the entirety of the country will follow suit and fall with it. President Zelenskyy displayed extreme confidence in his fellow Ukrainian citizens stating his “people are unconquerable and that is what they have clearly demonstrated.”  
To further elaborate on the fate of Ukraine if Kyiv was to become compromised, Zelenskyy issued a warning to President Putin claiming that, “you can conquer the city you can break the heart, but you won’t be able to force anyone to love someone. That is why the heart will always remain with Ukrainians.” An idea such as this is extremely offensive and debunks Putin’s stubborn belief that “Russians and Ukrainians were one people.”  
When Holt asked Zelensky what he felt the “red line” should be for U.S. and its allies to become involved, Zelensky claimed that he does not, “understand the meaning of a red line,” a finite indicator that launches universal action to finally end the Russian siege. He questions “what else should we wait for?”  
One of the most frightening concerns of the global community is the potential possibility for this conflict to spiral into World War III. Zelenkyy admits he shares this concern with the people and that “nobody knows whether it may have already started.” 
March 16, 2022: 
President Zelenskyy of Ukraine addressed the U.S. Congress via video. Once again, in his statement to Congress, Zelenskyy begged the international community to impose a no-fly zone over his country and requested further supplies, materials, and resources as a means to alleviate Ukraine’s suffering. He acknowledges that, “currently Russia has an advantage in the air” and “support can be supplied via transfer of US aircrafts.” Zelenskky is relying on the U.S. and its allies to step up and further assist Ukrainian efforts. 
Following Zelenskyy’s speech, President Biden declared an additional $800 million would be awarded to Ukraine to assist their efforts as they continue the ongoing battle with the Russian military. Biden applauded Ukrainian President Zelenskyy for his speech to Congress, stating his leadership has inspired not just his country but, “the entire world.”   
March 14, 2022: 
According to U.S. officials, Russia requested military and economic assistance from China to aid their continued destruction of Ukraine. Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin more than any other state leader over his time in office. The two have met 38 times as national leaders. The two presidents have a close relationship driven by various shared interests and common enemies, such as the United States. Xi has supported Putin as Russia has increased its military action in Ukraine. 
March 10, 2022: 
The U.S. Senate sent a proposal to President Biden’s desk that included 13.6 million dollars allocated to Ukrainian aid. Washington continues to assist the efforts of Ukraine overseas. Still, as a non-NATO country, there are limitations of the assistance the U.S. and allies can offer Ukraine. Global actors worldwide persistently supply Ukraine with money and resources while simultaneously enforcing brutal sanctions on Russia and its economy.  
March 8, 2022:
President Biden declared that the US will ban imports of Russian oil to the United States. This measure was taken in retaliation as Russia refuses to halt its advances in Ukraine. It is unclear if any European countries will take this step at this time.
March 6, 2022:
Havryshivka Vinnytsia International Airport, a civilian airport located in central Ukraine, was reportedly destroyed by Russian missiles. In a video released on March 6, President Zelenskyy again called for the closing of Ukrainian airspace. 
A second ceasefire was declared in Mariupol; hours later it fell down. Russian shelling started hours after the announcement of the ceasefire.
March 5, 2022:
Day ten of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine marked one of the scarier moments. A projectile was fired on Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, theZaporizhzhia plant, sparking a fire and sounding a worldwide alarm. The fear of possible nuclear threat being added to the conflict was front and center in the minds of all who watched the footage of the plant being attacked in the night. Although authorities confirmed that the fire did not result in radiation leaks, the plant came under Russian control and occupation once the flames subsided. 
March 4, 2022:
As Russian forces continue to overpower and oppress Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy desperately pleaded for the NATO alliance to enforce a no-fly over his struggling country. 
A no-fly zone would ban all unauthorized aircraft from flying over Ukraine. Despite the devastation and horrors that have taken place within Ukraine, NATO did not oblige and refused to enact such measures. 
In a passionate yet resentful address, Zelenskyy denounced NATO for refusing to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, communicating it would authorize the Russian military to continue escalating its attacks from the air.
“All the people who die from this day forward will also die because of you, because of your weakness, because of your lack of unity… The alliance has given the green light to the bombing of Ukrainian cities and villages by refusing to create a no-fly zone.”
NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg spoke on behalf of the organization and justified the reasoning behind their decision. Stoltenberg communicated that NATO “understands the desperation, but we also believe that if we did that, we would end up with something that could end in a full-fledged war in Europe. We have a responsibility as NATO allies to prevent this war from escalating beyond Ukraine.” 
March 3, 2022: 
Since the beginning of the War, French President Emmanuel Macron has kept open communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin. After a 90-minute conversation between the two national leaders on Thursday, Mar. 3, Macron expressed that he fears the end of the war is nowhere in sight. Putin defined his actions in Ukraine as “going according to plan” and appears determined to invade the country’s entirety. A senior official in the French presidency communicated that “Our analysis of the military operations is that the Russian ambitions are to take control of all of Ukraine.” 
March 1, 2022: State of the Union
In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Biden announced that the United States would be banning all flights inbound from Russian airspace, further isolating the Russian people from the rest of the world and adding “an additional squeeze on their economy.” 
February 27, 2022:
As the conflict entered its fifth day of warfare on Monday, Feb. 27, more than 5,000 people were reported to have lost their lives, including military personnel and civilians. In a statement released by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he refers to his fallen citizens as “heroes.” President Zelenskyy denounced Putin and Russian forces for “turning peaceful cities into military targets,” remarking that such inhumane actions are “foul and will never be forgiven.” 
February 25, 2022: 
The global community is enacting defensive measures to aid Ukraine against the Russian offense. NATO activated its NATO Response Force. According to a NATO spokesperson, this is the first time the organization has activated the potentially 40,000-person force for “a deterrence and defense” role. 
President Biden released a statement addressing the Russian attack saying in part, “Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.”
February 24, 2022: Russian forces invade Ukraine
The tense silence that had cloaked Ukraine broke with the sounds of the anticipated Russian invasion. Explosions were reported in the Ukrainian cities of Odessa and Kharkiv along with the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, as Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, announced the launch of military action.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted martial law for 30 days to increase Ukrainian defense and citizen safety and protect state interests. Under martial law, Zelenskyy has demanded all eligible combat-age men, ranging from 18 to 60-years-old, remain in their home country and fight Russian forces as Putin makes active and devastating progress on Ukrainian soil.