KYIV, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine marked the anniversary of the Russian invasion on Friday with a present of defiance, as anti-Kremlin protests occurred around the globe and the US made a major dedication of latest weaponry to the nation.

Whilst he and his allies braced for a protracted conflict, Mr. Zelensky held a marathon information convention in Kyiv, the capital, to rally worldwide help, declaring that Ukraine and the allies supplying it with weapons and different assist would prevail “if we keep as one robust fist and our companions are united for our victory.”

“I’m sure there can be victory,” he stated. “I don’t suppose, I do know, it’s going to occur this 12 months. We have now the whole lot for it: motivation, perception, buddies, diplomacy.”

China launched a top level view for a peace settlement that the West dismissed as a imprecise nonstarter which may serve solely to cement into place Russian beneficial properties. The transfer got here as the US has been warning that Beijing would possibly ship weapons to Russia, which may dramatically alter the stability in a combat the place either side have run low on important munitions.

Mr. Zelensky took care to not say something which may provoke Beijing, the highly effective Moscow ally that he hopes will stay largely on the sidelines of the conflict — persevering with his lengthy balancing act between condemning Russia whereas avoiding direct criticism of China. Requested about China on Friday, he stated little about its proposal, and merely expressed hope that the nation wouldn’t arm Russia.

On the prospects for peace talks, the warring nations continued to speak previous each other, every setting preconditions that the opposite would name capitulation. The Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily A. Nebenzya, informed the Safety Council that his nation would solely negotiate on how its objectives in Ukraine could possibly be achieved.

Mr. Zelensky stated that Russia should halt its violence in opposition to Ukraine and respect Ukrainian sovereignty earlier than there could possibly be any talks, and requested what negotiation was potential with a nation that continued to kill civilians.

“These civilians didn’t have weapons of their arms, that they had their youngsters of their arms,” he stated.

Because the Safety Council met in New York to debate the conflict, protesters exterior held up an effigy of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia with bloodied arms. In Brussels, tons of of individuals gathered in a chilly drizzle exterior the European Parliament to unfurl a large Ukrainian flag, sing the Ukrainian nationwide anthem and chant “Slava Ukraini,” or “Glory to Ukraine.” World leaders issued statements deploring the invasion and noting {that a} 12 months of bloodshed and destruction had handed, ad infinitum.

In Buenos Aires, folks gathered in entrance of the barricaded Russian embassy, taking part in Russian rock anthems on audio system and waving Ukrainian flags and bearing indicators with messages like “Russia With out Putin.”

“This conflict is a lie,” stated Aleksandr Fitasov, 35, one of many occasion organizers in Buenos Aires. “It’s simply to defend President Putin’s energy, so he stays president, and to fulfill his empire ambitions to recreate the good Russia, with all of the territories.”

Lots of the protesters in Buenos Aires had been among the many 1000’s of Russians who’ve fled their nation through the conflict, together with some with infants born to oldsters who hoped that overseas beginning certificates and passports would give their youngsters brighter futures. Russian opposition teams say they’ve organized occasions in 100 cities in 44 international locations over the subsequent three days to protest the conflict.

Even in Russia, the place dissent has been criminalized, there have been scattered acts of protest on Friday, from the refined to the unmistakable — and no less than 20 arrests, in keeping with rights teams. In a village close to Saint Petersburg, Dmitri Skurikhin painted the names of cities Russia has ravaged on the facade of his retailer, and knelt exterior with an indication saying “Forgive us, Ukraine” — acts that might get him 5 years in jail.

In a park in Moscow, a gradual trickle of individuals laid flowers at a statue of the Ukrainian poet Larysa Kosach-Kvitka, higher generally known as Lesya Ukrainka, whereas two law enforcement officials watched from a parked squad automobile close by. “To ensure that Russia to turn out to be a free and democratic nation, it should lose this explicit conflict, to ensure that the federal government to alter,” stated one of many flower bearers, Nikolai, an 18-year-old scholar whose full title is being withheld for his security.

Generally, nevertheless, the temper in Moscow was considered one of enterprise as ordinary, with many individuals saying that that they had given little thought to the conflict, or to Russia’s isolation.

There was little information on Friday from the battlefield, the place the conflict has already achieved injury past comprehension: tons of of 1000’s killed or wounded, tons of of billions of {dollars} in injury, cities and cities virtually utterly flattened, thousands and thousands of Ukrainians made homeless, and thousands and thousands extra struggling via winter with inadequate shelter, warmth or electrical energy — and even, in some instances, sufficient meals and water.

The conflict has reverberated across the globe, reshaping and strengthening alliances, and affecting the whole lot from grain costs to vitality coverage. However although Russia has discovered itself extra remoted from the West and sanctions have broken the nation’s economic system, they’ve did not deliver it to its knees. China, India and others proceed to commerce with Moscow and supply it with diplomatic help.

All through the conflict, China has offered itself as impartial, even because it has aligned extra carefully with Russia. The proposal it launched on Friday requires peace talks and a cease-fire, although Russia nonetheless holds a big swath of Ukrainian territory in 4 provinces it claims to have annexed. It doesn’t name for withdrawal of Russian troops.

Beijing repeated factors it had made earlier than, with out naming any nation as perpetrator or sufferer, in language broad sufficient to be open to interpretation. The Chinese language assertion requires “respecting the sovereignty of all international locations,” however doesn’t handle Mr. Putin’s insistence that Ukraine isn’t an actual nation and merely a quickly estranged a part of Russia.

And it requires an finish to sanctions imposed with out approval from the Safety Council, the place Russia and China each maintain veto energy — a reference to the penalties the US, the European Union and Britain have imposed on Russia.

“Safety isn’t an unique proper loved solely by some international locations,” Wang Yi, China’s prime overseas coverage official, informed the Safety Council. “The safety of 1 nation shouldn’t be pursued on the expense of others.”

Mr. Nebenzya, the Russian ambassador, praised the Chinese language assertion, whereas on the similar assembly, Antony J. Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, dismissed it with out mentioning it straight.

“Members of this council mustn’t fall into the false equivalency of calling on either side to cease combating, or calling on different nations to cease supporting Ukraine within the title of peace,” he stated.

“On this conflict, there may be an aggressor and a sufferer,” he added.

The Biden administration on Friday introduced a brand new spherical of sanctions in opposition to 200 Russian folks and entities. It additionally introduced the discharge of $2 billion in extra army assist, elevating the U.S. complete to about $32 billion prior to now 12 months, though President Biden on Friday evening stated in an interview with ABC Information that he was “ruling out” sending Ukraine F-16 fighter jets for the second. The European Union, Britain and Canada additionally introduced new sanctions.

When Mr. Zelensky was requested at his information convention about the potential for China sending weapons to Russia, he at first ducked the query, however minutes later it was requested once more.

“I actually need to imagine that China isn’t going to produce weapons to Russia,” he stated, including that it could elevate the chance of a world conflict. “I need to imagine China goes to aspect with the thought of peace and equity.”

Mr. Zelensky was extra straight vital of Israel, a rustic with Western alliances that has provided restricted, quiet help for Ukraine whereas attempting to stay on good phrases with Russia.

“I actually need them to be greater than a mediator, however to decide on a aspect,” he stated. “The Ukrainian aspect.”

Sliding simply between Ukrainian and English, Mr. Zelensky demonstrated his penchant for courting Western media and their audiences. He spent properly over two hours answering questions, usually at some size, acknowledging uncertainty on some fronts however insisting, “I’m assured we can have this victory, and hope it’s going to occur this 12 months.”

He opened his information convention by thanking the information media and noting the journalists, overseas and home, who had died overlaying the conflict.

“The truth that the entire world isn’t forgetting about Ukraine, this enables us to stay robust to stay invincible,” he stated. He then stood for a minute of silence.

Marc Santora reported from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Richard Pérez-Peña from New York. Reporting was contributed by Farnaz Fassihi and Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura from New York, Michael D. Shear from Washington, Monika Pronczuk from Brussels, and Cassandra Vinograd, Matt Surman and Euan Ward from London.