Category: Attack on Ukraine

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 25 August 2022.

Fellow Ukrainians!

It’s almost night, our main day, Independence Day of Ukraine, is coming to an end. But our independence does not end and will never end. And there will be our 32nd Independence Day, and 33rd, and all the following ones, as long as time on earth lasts. Ukraine will live forever. And it will only get stronger every day. And absolutely everyone in the world understands this – from the UN Security Council to all capitals without exception.

Therefore, let’s not retreat from our path, let’s fight, express gratitude to everyone who supports us, take care of our state, preserve our unity – the same unity as today, as every day over these six months. And no enemy will be able to defeat us. There are no such bombs that can erase freedom, and there will never be such missiles that can break the will of the people who believe in themselves.

Chaplyne is our pain today. As of this moment, there are 22 dead, five of them burned in the car, an 11-year-old teenager died, a Russian missile destroyed his house.

Search and rescue operations at the railway station will continue. We will definitely make the occupiers bear responsibility for everything they have done. And we will certainly drive the invaders out of our land. Not a single stain of this evil will remain in our free Ukraine. We will make our way to victory! It will happen!

Eternal memory to all those whose lives were taken by these invaders, these enemies.

Eternal glory to all our warriors! Glory to our people!

Glory to our Ukrainian strong world, our independence, our nation!

Glory to all of you!

Glory to Ukraine!

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 2 September 2022.

Dear participants of the Forum!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I am grateful for this opportunity to address you right now as we are all going through a very risky time in this war.

I would like to start with a fact that you may have missed. But I ask you to pay attention to it.

Pay attention to the fact that the work of the Forum is currently being monitored by independent media. As far as I know, representatives of such media as Corriere della Sera, Rai, La Repubblica, La Stampa, New York Times, Financial Times, Reuters, Fox Business Channel, CNBC Europe are present at the Forum. And I think many others. In general, 280 media representatives cover the Forum.

We are open to all. And we are open to them. And I can’t imagine that any of us are afraid of such or similar media.

But I will tell you who is afraid of them.

As you know, Ukraine is at the epicenter of Russian radiation blackmail right now. The Russian army seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant back in March and still holds it captive. This is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe – there are six nuclear reactors.

The plant was repeatedly shelled. On the very first night, when the Russian occupiers entered there, on the night of March 4, they fired at the plant’s premises from tanks. There is video confirmation. Over the months after that, the situation has not changed – shelling and provocations every day, constantly.

Under the cover of a nuclear plant, the Russian army is shelling neighboring cities and districts – this was the strategy. The occupiers are also shelling the plant itself – to put pressure on Ukraine and on all of you in Europe and on the world. The whole world. They want you to show weakness, to give up and stop supporting Ukraine. This is why Russia is doing this radiation blackmail.

Recently, the Zaporizhzhia NPP was literally one step away from disaster – when the power transmission lines were damaged as a result of shelling, automation began to shut down the reactors. Only the Ukrainian nuclear engineers, who work there absolutely professionally even in such difficult conditions, manage to prevent the accident.

If it was not for our professional people, Russia would have already provoked the worst disaster in the history of Europe – even worse than Chornobyl. And it is logical that this requires a strong international reaction.

With the help of our partners, we ensured that the IAEA mission was sent to the plant – just yesterday the mission was there. We agreed with the head of the IAEA, Mr. Grossi, the members of the mission, when I met with them, that they would help with the key issue – the key issue of the safety of the nuclear power plant, the key issue is the demilitarization of the plant. Because this is key to protecting all of us, all Europeans, from a radiation disaster. We also agreed that together with the IAEA mission, independent journalists from Ukrainian and international media will arrive at the territory of Zaporizhzhia NPP. The same media that are currently covering this Forum.

But what did we see? The Russian military stopped the journalists traveling with the mission at a checkpoint and did not let them go any further. Obviously, the occupiers felt that in the presence of a free media it would be impossible to lie to the IAEA and the whole world. Free media scares Russia.

And this says everything at once – if you do not allow independent journalists to the plant, it means you are definitely aware of your responsibility for the catastrophe that the plant is on the verge of, and you are afraid that the world will draw conclusions about your responsibility.

Unfortunately, the mission did not protect the journalists and did not put enough pressure on the Russians so that independent media would still be at the plant, so that everything would be open and fair there. And we talked about it with the mission and agreed. We said that without the admission of independent journalists, Russian propagandists would dominate the place. It would be a theater. Unfortunately, we also have not yet heard from the IAEA the key thing – the call to Russia regarding the demilitarization of the plant. And how can you do without it?

I really hope that the mission will adhere to what the parties have agreed upon and what is in the interests of the entire international community. The greatest risk of a radiation disaster in 40 years must be removed. It is impossible to leave the military of the terrorist state at the nuclear power plant. There are situations when the fate of everyone on the continent depends on keeping one’s word. This is exactly the situation now.

Ukraine has repeatedly demonstrated that we always keep our word. Always. This is evident in many areas.

Of course, we did everything to ensure that the IAEA got access to the Zaporizhzhia NPP. I believe that this mission can still be fruitful.

And also – this is another example – we have fulfilled our obligations for the grain export initiative, which alleviates the food crisis in the world. And therefore, it prevents a new migrant crisis. Famine in the countries of Africa and Asia would lead to new waves of migrants to Europe and, in particular, to the Mediterranean coast, to Italy. But we do everything for this not to happen.

Ukrainian food has already reached 20 countries by sea. Our wheat was also sent to such countries as Ethiopia and Yemen, where the situation is particularly difficult. We will continue to keep our word on food safety guarantees.

We are ready to help stop the price chaos in Europe. While Russia is making efforts to increase gas shortages on the market and prices, Ukraine is willing to increase electricity exports to EU countries. The return of the Zaporizhzhia plant to a safe mode of operation and its connection to the Ukrainian power grid is important particularly for this as well. The Russian presence at the plant significantly weakens our ability to help Europe in the energy sphere.

At the expense of our electricity exports, we can stabilize the energy consumption of our neighbors in the EU, and as a result, this will reduce Russia’s energy pressure on the whole of Europe, and therefore on Italy. Even now, despite all the difficulties, we can export such a volume of electricity that corresponds to at least eight percent of the consumption of the whole of Italy.

Moreover, Ukraine can become a green energy hub for Europe, which will replace Russia’s dirty energy resources. Dirty – in different senses of the word: both environmentally and morally. Our country has a huge natural potential for the development of capacities in green energy and in the production of green hydrogen. This is a potential of at least tens, and possibly hundreds of gigawatts of green electrical power and millions of tons of green hydrogen. It is important that there is already an infrastructure for transporting electricity and hydrogen to the EU. All this is there. And we have always kept our word on providing Europe with energy resources. Just compare it to the typical behavior of Russia, which always breaches treaties and uses the economy for political blackmail, not fulfilling its own promises.

Even during a full-scale war, Ukraine did everything to gain the status of a candidate for EU membership. We quickly and efficiently fulfilled our obligations and we will do everything to start negotiations on EU membership. We will definitely be together with you in a united Europe. I am grateful to Italy and I am personally grateful to Prime Minister Mario Draghi for supporting our country on this European path and in protecting it from Russian aggression. Every word of our agreements with Mr. Draghi has been adhered to one hundred percent. A truly worthy person, truly worthy relations between our states.

And life itself demonstrates that we need even more integration, even more agreements and results.

We must ensure full compliance with every promise to increase pressure on Russia to finally stop the radiation blackmail, guarantee the complete safety of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and four other large nuclear facilities in Ukraine.

All words regarding the support of Ukraine with weapons, shells and finances must be confirmed by actions as long as this war continues. Russia does not understand the words of peace. But it feels the strength on the battlefield very well.

Strength should be with Ukraine, with the free world. Including the sanctions that the world applies as self-defense against Russian aggression. Strength should also be with business, primarily in Europe. The reputation of none of the companies will withstand radiation sickness. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately sever relations with the country that resorted to radiation blackmail. And don’t wait for disasters to make decisions, switch to predictable partners. Ukraine is just such a partner.

Of course, now it is the war. Of course, Russian missiles hit our land. We lose people every day. And I will remind you of just one terrible number – 379. This is the number of Ukrainian children killed by Russian strikes. More than 735 children were wounded. All together in Europe and in the free world we have the power to end this war. And therefore, over time, we can move to much more meaningful economic relations.

Ukraine is already one of the world’s largest producers of agricultural crops. You have already talked about this today. And together we can build one of the largest agro-processing clusters, strengthen our ability to be a guarantor of food security making Ukraine a place of production of affordable food for the whole world.

Also, Ukraine is ideal for locating any processing enterprises. From woodworking to all types of mechanical engineering. We have a large amount of almost all resources and minerals – from gas to lithium, qualified people, fast logistics to the European market, good access to it. We want it, we strive for it.

Ukraine is an ambitious reconstruction project after hostilities. Reconstruction worth hundreds of billions of euros – of everything that Russia destroyed with its terror. Tens of thousands of different objects have to be created virtually anew. And I am grateful to those Italian companies that have already shown their interest.

And Ukraine is a completely new defense and security sector, whose power will match what we experienced in this war, and which will make a fundamental contribution to the security of Europe in the coming decades.

Of course, after we force Russia to leave our land and make peace. And this will be possible if all our partners keep their word. Just as Ukraine does. Just as Italy does.

I thank you for the firmness of the Italian word, for the actions that confirm that word. Thank you for supporting our state, for supporting our people who found refuge on your land. We will never forget it. I say this frankly, honestly, from the heart, from every citizen.

Glory to Ukraine!

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 29 August 2022.

Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Dear participants of the Forum!

I am grateful for this opportunity to address you and everyone present, as well as all Europeans!

Today is an important day for us – the Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of Ukraine who died in the struggle for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state. At this time, in August 2014, Ukrainian warriors were vilely killed near the city of Ilovaisk in Donbas. They were brutally shot by Russian troops. Ukraine lost hundreds of its sons then – in a few days. Hundreds of those thousands perished in the war since 2014.

In the war that reached the scale of a total war on February 24 of this year. Russia’s full-scale war against the life and freedom of our people, against ordinary peaceful cities that are being destroyed by Russian artillery, and against the culture of our people, which Russia wants to completely erase – Russian propagandists and officials do not even conceal this goal, they say absolutely openly that they want to destroy everything Ukrainian. So that it does not exist.

They do not perceive the very fact of the independent existence of our people. Like any of your people. As we repel Russian aggression on our soil, we protect every European people from exactly the same expansion – the expansion of those who have nothing human left in them.

Is there any human in someone who rapes children in front of their parents? In the one who forces the inhabitants of the entire village – everyone from small children to the elderly – to sit in the basement of the school for a month? Is there any human in someone who strikes heavy anti-ship missiles, which were built to destroy aircraft carriers, at an ordinary shopping mall full of people. In the one who supplies shells to the artillery, which day after day burns city blocks, ordinary residential buildings. In the one who interrogates and tortures people in the so-called filtration camps created by Russian forces throughout the occupied territory. Imagine: XXI century, filtration camps. Is there any human in someone who separates Ukrainian children from their parents and gives them for criminal adoption in Russia knowing that these children have relatives in Ukraine. Relatives who are alive and who are looking for them.

When we talk about Russian aggression against Ukraine and all of Russia’s pressure on Europe accompanying this aggression – and this is very cynical pressure, this is the deliberate destruction of normal economic and social life, this is the energy and price crises in Europe, which are artificially exacerbated by Russia – when we talk about all this, we mean not only those who are at the highest levels of the Russian power hierarchy. We are talking about thousands and thousands of different people with the passport of a Russian citizen.

About those who shoot at our soldiers on the battlefield and shoot civilians in the back of the head. We are talking about those who press the buttons to strike Russian missiles at Ukrainian cities. About those who design and manufacture these missiles and other weapons used for terror. Those who work in companies that provide for the Russian army and special services. Those who conscript, transport and in every way support Russian murderers. We are talking about those who provide for corrupt Russian officials and generals, who manage numerous businesses that are related to corrupt Russian officials. Those who sow hatred for any manifestation of freedom, promote war, support repression. Those who remain silent when they see all this and do nothing – do not protest, do not fight – even when they are completely safe in European countries.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014. For more than six months, the Russian state has been spending all its available resources to destroy our state and split Europe. Most European countries have already seen and experienced one or another of Russia’s attempts to put pressure, inflict damage and bring suffering to people.

And according to the logic of any normal person, it is the citizens of Russia who have something human left in them who should be the first to oppose the war. If they have conscience, if they have shame. But we do not see constant and noticeable anti-war protests with the participation of citizens of this state – even where there is no risk for them of any repression for protests, I repeat this once again. Why so? I’ll leave you with that question. It is complicated – so why is it so?

Europe is not a quiet haven where you can just sit out the time when someone else is fighting against Russian terror. But, unfortunately, many citizens of Russia perceive Europe this way. That is why they need European visas. And, unfortunately, none of your states is immune from the fact that war criminals, on whose hands there is the blood of Ukrainians, will come to you simply as tourists, and one day they will receive an order – and they will become not tourists at all.

It shouldn’t be like that. And all of us in Europe have to protect ourselves from this. Both those who are part of the European Union and all other European countries. Because Russian terror is an equal threat to all of us, to all who live here, to all European nations.

The one who does not fight against terror supports it, and therefore shares the responsibility for all its consequences. This should be the rule that overrides all other rules. A state that threatens everyone around it – from the Baltic states to Kazakhstan – should be under a full embargo from everyone in the world who values freedom and respects themselves. We need an embargo on all relations with Russia, with a terrorist state, as long as Russia continues the war, occupies foreign territory, destroys the lives of other nations.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Ukraine is paying the most terrible price for freedom and for the ideals we share with you. Thousands of people died. Dozens of cities and villages were destroyed, now they are black ruins that look through burned windows at Russia and whether the world is able to stop it and bring it to account for everything done against peaceful people.

Millions of Ukrainians were forced to leave their native places fleeing hostilities. And we can’t stand seeing how someone under the flag of the occupiers humiliates our people in some European cities sometimes. We can’t stand seeing how thousands of those responsible for this war smile cynically, hoping that Russia will succeed in breaking Europe and returning to, as they call it, business as usual. And hundreds of millions of people throughout the free world can’t stand seeing it either.

Hence, we need to act now so that our shared freedom is protected for generations to come. The stability and free development of Eastern Europe, the Balkans and all other parts of our continent of values, our continent of freedom must be protected and guaranteed. And that means very specific things.

Sufficient defense support for Ukraine, support with weapons, shells, so that this war does not drag on, so that victory is achieved as soon as possible.

Sufficient sanction pressure on Russia – to destroy the illusion of the Russian leadership that they will be able withstand the struggle against the free world.

Sufficient protection of Europe itself – our people, our markets from Russia’s hybrid aggression, which is betting on the spread of crises and poverty as much as it is betting on weapons.

This also means our close coordination in strengthening our association, in the integration processes in Europe, in security cooperation between our states. A stronger Ukraine means a stronger Europe. A stronger Balkans means a stronger Europe. We must continue to help each other on the European path, as we are doing now.

And it is imperative that the entire European Union, all European countries and the entire free world encourage Russian citizens to fight for a change in Russian state policy, encourage them not to remain silent and not to be complicit in terror.

You know what to do. I am grateful to everyone who is already helping Ukraine. By helping us, you gave not excess, but what really matters to you. We appreciate it. We know that when we are fighting, when all of us are fighting together against this aggression, we are not just fighting for ourselves, but for Europe to win. The real struggle of each country for independence is a difficult path, it is what generations gain. And now we have the opportunity to achieve victory for ourselves, for our children, for our grandchildren, for all generations of our nations who fought for freedom earlier.

I am sure we will win. We will win together. And this will be done in the name of Europe, in the name of all those who gave their lives for freedom.

I thank you for your support!

I thank you for your attention!

Glory to Ukraine!

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 29 August 2022.

Dear Mr. President of the MEDEF!

Dear ministers, dear MEDEF members!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I am grateful to you for the invitation, for this opportunity to address you, to address in your person the entire people of France – each and every one who believes that no one has the right to destroy someone’s life.

I know that MEDEF unites and protects the interests of hundreds of thousands of businesses in France. You represent people who have created and who are developing businesses in different areas, completely different industries.

You represent people who work hard to be able to provide for their children and exercise their rights. The right to live, the right to be free, the right to happiness, the right to well-being, the right to housing, the right to education, the right to work, the right to a decent wage and other absolutely common modern human rights.

And in fact, your association represents the very people that I, as the President of Ukraine, represent.

Our people wanted nothing more than to live in their own country, enjoy their freedoms, work for their own good and the future of their children. Ukraine did not go to someone else’s home with weapons. Ukrainians were not going to rob any other people or any state. We cared about our social development, our democracy and dreamed that one day we would be in the European Union together with you and other nations of Europe.

And that is why this Russian war against Ukraine began. The leadership of Russia saw that Ukraine can become and is becoming a positive example for our region. An example that democracy can give more to society than dictatorship can. This seems to be an obvious opinion in Western Europe, but in the east of our continent, and especially in the territory of the former USSR, this is not an obvious fact, it needs to be proved. And Ukraine did everything to prove it.

Our state set an example of how to take care of society without crazy dollars and euros earned from the sale of oil and gas. How to create opportunities for social development. How to strengthen the regions of the state, not drain money from them. How to build modern infrastructure. How to create such opportunities for citizens that others in our region simply do not have thanks to the openness of society and the modernity of state institutions.

In particular, we conducted and continue to digitize public services. Our goal is to ensure that relations between a citizen and the state, between any company and the state take place without the mediation of a government official. This is a necessary condition for overcoming any risks of corruption and for the real freedom of people and business – something that dozens of other governments cannot dare to do. And this is something that every Ukrainian has in his smartphone today. This is “Diia” state service, which gives people dozens of different opportunities: from digital documents and vaccination certificates to the ability to register a business or pay fines.

We combine our economy and energy sphere with the European market and other advanced world markets. We have deposits of natural resources that are critically important for the world economy, including lithium, titanium, uranium, etc.

Ukraine has already become a guarantor of global food security. The value of our agrarian exports was fully demonstrated when Russia blocked Ukrainian ports, and as a result, the global food crisis aggravated.

Russia’s war against Ukraine is not just a colonial war in the worst sense of the word, it is not just an attempt to appropriate our land, resources or the potential of our people. Through the destruction of Ukraine, Russia is trying to destroy the hope of all nations near its borders and all peoples in the territory of Russia itself that freedom will really work. That democracy will help with development. That human rights and human dignity can give society more than the mercy of some dictator.

That is why the Russian war against Ukraine is so brutal. That is why it became total from the first minute on February 24.

That is why Russian cruise missiles and artillery destroy everything from day one. Everything that was built and developed by generations of Ukrainians. Schools and hospitals, universities, railway stations, airports, residential buildings of ordinary people, factories, bakeries, port facilities and even ordinary tire repair stations, ordinary shopping malls, machine-building plants, water plants, power plants – absolutely everything.

Dropping a bomb on a maternity hospital, a theater or a warehouse with food is all the same to the Russian occupiers. All these are the same targets for them. Burning cities and making millions of people forcibly displaced are just tools for them. Because Russia’s goal is to destroy Ukraine as a democracy, a social state, an economic power, a society of educated people who know how to work for their own interests. Like all people.

But that is why I believe in our victory. When someone is at war with an entire nation, he has no chance. For us, this is a people’s war. And nations are invincible! And when the nation has such friends like the Ukrainians have, victory becomes inevitable.

I am sincerely grateful to you, the people of France, and I am personally grateful to President Emmanuel Macron for support in this fight for freedom. I saw how Emmanuel was looking for a diplomatic way, looking for steps to stop the war.

I have devoted several years as president to finding a solution, a peaceful, diplomatic model of coexistence without war. But, unfortunately, the leadership of Russia does not want to live without war. The leadership of Russia considers the free and democratic life of Ukraine as an existential challenge for itself. That is why they want war and destruction. They think that this way they can secure their dictatorship for many years.

And that is why it is important to achieve victory. It is important to do everything so that the victory takes place as soon as possible. It is important to do everything so that Russia can never again blackmail either Ukraine or France. You don’t feel it as much as we do yet. And hopefully the war will not come to your land, but this is it. All this is their plan. Neither any European state, nor Europe in general can be blackmailed with a war, an energy crisis or a food crisis.

It is important to rebuild Ukraine after the war. Peace for Ukraine, guarantees of security, restoration of everything destroyed by the Russian occupiers will be clear proof that the European idea is stronger than any dictatorships, and the values of freedom, equality and mutual aid overcome any terror.

And that is why I am addressing you today. Ukraine can give you thousands of contracts, thousands of jobs. We need your experience and your participation in post-war reconstruction. We have already started – on the free territory of our country.

We invite construction companies to take part in infrastructure reconstruction, localization of production of construction materials.

We invite companies that can help in the modernization of communal infrastructure – water supply, water purification, waste sorting and processing.

We invite energy companies to produce and store gas, build green energy, produce hydrogen and develop our nuclear energy industry.

We invite automotive companies to localize the production of electric cars and components.

We invite food companies to engage in agro-processing and food production for the 40-million market of Ukraine and the entire European market with which we are fully integrated.

And we will come to the entire territory of our country currently occupied by Russia in order to return this territory to Europe.

Perhaps some of you already know that at the level of our Governments – Ukraine and France – we are preparing to hold such an initiative in Paris in the autumn – a forum on the recovery of Ukraine. I invite your companies to participate in this initiative.

I know that there are companies that have already responded and are participating in the reconstruction of our state. In particular, I am grateful to Matière company for its support in the restoration of our bridge infrastructure.

I would also like to thank the Île-de-France region for starting a partnership with the Chernihiv and Kyiv regions, and the Grand-Est region for a partnership with the Kharkiv region. And I am also grateful to all other small and large cities of France, which came to the aid of Ukraine in this important, cruel time.

I remember how last year, even before the start of the full-scale war, we met in Kyiv with the MEDEF delegation. Good ideas and ambitious projects were discussed. I want to confirm – we will be able to implement them, we will be able to do a lot together.

Because we equally value freedom, equally respect human rights, equally care about social development.

We are all people, we are all Europeans, and that says it all!

Thank you for your attention!

Thanks, France, for your support!

Glory to Ukraine!