The New Arab's live blog as Ukraine commemorating one year since Russia invaded the country has now concluded. Follow The New Arab on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest news on the Turkey-Syria earthquake.
The United States on Friday announced sweeping sanctions aimed at increasing economic pain for Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and sharpening efforts to crack down on Moscow's ability to evade existing restrictions.
The White House said the latest measures against Russia were rolled out "in coordination with G7 partners and allies," while Britain announced their sanctions in a statement as well, with the EU also expected to do so though it faced last minute objections by Poland.
The G7 countries, which were holding a virtual summit on Friday to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia launching its invasion, have delivered successive waves of sanctions in an effort the thwart Russia's war machine.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky pledged to push for victory in 2023 as he and other Ukrainians on Friday marked the somber first anniversary of the Russian invasion that he called "the longest day of our lives".
In a defiant video address, President Zelensky recalled the terror unleashed a year ago by the Russian assault, triggering Europe’s biggest and deadliest war since World War II.
"We survived the first day of the full-scale war. We didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but we clearly understood that for each tomorrow, you need to fight. And we fought," he said.
He also tweeted that Ukrainians had proven themselves to be "invincible" in what he called "a year of pain, sorrow, faith and the unity".
“We know that 2023 will be the year of our victory!".
Ukrainians in the country planned memorials, candle vigils and other remembrances for their tens of thousands of dead, as tolls are expected to increase due to ongoing fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, a number of western countries pledged their support for Ukraine, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, who said that Paris "stands by Ukraine's side".