Tuesday marks exactly four years since the Kremlin began what it described as a “special military operation”, an offensive that, from Moscow’s perspective, was expected to last only a few weeks.
Instead, Russia encountered fierce resistance from the Ukrainian people, and the conflict has turned into a prolonged and devastating war with far-reaching consequences for Europe. Security strategies have been reassessed, and NATO has been forced to adapt to a new geopolitical reality.
The solidarity march, organised by the association LUkraine, took place on Place Clairefontaine. It drew participants from across Luxembourg, as well as members of Baltic and Nordic communities, including people from Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, and Poland, countries that share a border with Russia and view the conflict with particular concern. An oversized Ukrainian flag was carried through the city as a symbol of unity and defiance.
The event was marked by strong emotion. Children sang a song about their homeland, while a Ukrainian participant performed Luxembourg’s national anthem.
Speakers highlighted the harsh conditions many Ukrainians are currently enduring, particularly during the winter months. With temperatures below freezing, Russia has continued to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
According to Nicolas Zharov, president of LUkraine, the Ukrainian people have now endured 1,459 days of war. For many, daily life is punctuated by air raid sirens and the sound of explosions.
In his address, Zharov stressed that the invasion was not only an attack on Ukrainian cities, but also on the international order itself, on the fundamental principles that borders must not be changed by force, that civilians must not be targeted, that truth matters, and that sovereign nations cannot simply be conquered by stronger neighbours.
He argued that Ukraine’s resistance therefore extends beyond its own territory: what is happening there sends a global signal that aggression must not prevail. Ukraine, he added, is not a bargaining chip in potential peace negotiations.
Luxembourg’s Defence Minister, Yuriko Backes, pointed squarely at the Russian president as being responsible for the ongoing suffering. She said that Putin could have ended the war long ago, but instead continues to bomb innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Backes reaffirmed that Luxembourg has stood by Ukraine from the outset and remains on what she described as the right side of history. Europe, she warned, cannot be truly secure as long as Ukraine is not a free country whose sovereignty is respected.
In another emotional speech, Barbara Karpetová, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Luxembourg, urged continued solidarity, stressing that every step taken, every flag raised, every candle lit, and every voice raised matters, because hope grows stronger when it is shared.
Recalling Luxembourg’s national motto, “Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mer sinn”, she that Ukraine, too, wishes to remain what it is. The emotion in her voice left little doubt about the depth of feeling behind her words.
