Category: Attack on 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!

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

Your Royal Highness, Mr. Prime Minister!

Dear businessmen present!

Dear Mr. Elon Musk!

Dear friends!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I am grateful to each and every one of you who is present for the opportunity to talk and for the opportunity to participate in this important discussion.

I’m sure you are well informed about the situation in Europe, about the risks – I heard you talked about them now – that we all face now in addition to the brutal terrorist war that Russia is waging against our citizens, our state, against our independence. And it is important to know that this is the independence of all other European states. This is a war for independence as such.

We all see how destabilized the gas market is. We all see how European countries are revising their plans for coal, coal-fired power plants. We can all see that the threat of energy poverty is becoming real for tens of millions of people in Europe, who until recently could afford normal energy consumption. We all see that the price of energy is so high that thousands of businesses have gone into crisis. And this leads to a reduction in jobs and a drop in workers’ incomes. And in winter, energy prices can rise even more…

We all see that for the first time since 1986, when the Chornobyl tragedy occurred, we have to consider as seriously as possible the scenarios for countering the radiation disaster that Russia is bringing closer with its terror at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. These are all well-known facts. But what do they testify to?

People often draw completely different conclusions from the same facts – some are right, and some are wrong. In the discussions, the opinion of the majority is determined afterwards – either right or wrong. Sometimes mistakes leave no trace. And sometimes the price of mistakes becomes very high, when erroneous conclusions lead to erroneous political decisions.

This is what the authors of this large-scale – and completely artificial – crisis that Europe is going through are counting on. They want the Europeans to be scared. To draw wrong conclusions and give up European values in favor of illusory price reductions. Russia is using economic terror, price crisis pressure and poverty to weaken Europe just when its full force is needed to defend against terror in the war that Russia has been waging for more than six months. Full-scale war! And in general, its invasion of Ukraine has already been lasting for 8 years.

This is what the Russian state, its officials and companies, such as Gazprom, are working for. For creating crises and for crises to turn into disasters. Right now, Russia is burning at least 10 million euros worth of gas near the Finnish border every day. Gas is being burned that should have been supplied to German and other European consumers. Russia cannot stop its production, does not want to supply it to the Europeans, as it is interested in the crisis, and has no other buyers. So it just burns this gas. Just like they burn our people.

10 million euros on fire every day at the border of Russia is hundreds of millions of euros in additional expenses of the European middle class, ordinary workers, pensioners on energy every day as well. Because of the inflated prices on the market, because of the shortage, because of Russia trying to prevent the replenishment of European gas storages before winter.

A normal market player would have already supplied the free volume of gas to the market. The terrorist state does everything to ensure that there is as little gas as possible on the market at the highest possible price, which leads to an increase in other prices. And this is all part of the Russian hybrid aggression against all people, against all of us, against all of you, against all of united Europe.

And take a look at the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Why is Russia doing this? What is the purpose of the radiation blackmail for Russia? The goal is the same, completely cynical, completely deliberate – to intimidate Ukrainians, to intimidate all Europeans. To blackmail and coerce. This pressure is for Russian state propagandists and officials to say that it is allegedly not Russia to blame, that someone else created another crisis and that this someone should be influenced, and that it is allegedly necessary to negotiate with the Kremlin precisely for this reason.

Just think about it: Russia is the only terrorist in the world who managed to turn a nuclear power plant into a battlefield and who consistently does everything to make Europe watch where the wind may blow the radiation if, God forbid, a disaster occurs.

Most of the older generation of Norway, I think, well remember that the consequences of the accident at the Chornobyl plant were felt even in central Norway – in the area of Trondheim and in the north of your country. And for all of us, this is a terrible risk. This is a memory of the unacceptable, and for Russia it is just an additional opportunity.

The fact is that the Russian leadership has a specific bandit’s logic – they create problems, hoping that the victims of these problems will come and try to agree on their solution, and the bandit will get something for it.

Russia wants Europe to turn a blind eye to the war, and for this purpose it is provoking internal chaos in Europe. Russia wants to take away freedom from us by force of arms, and from you – by these crises that it creates and exacerbates. Russia wants to force you to abandon European values. Here is a correct conclusion from the available facts. And based on this conclusion, a correct policy is needed. The policy of even greater unity, as the Prime Minister has said now, unity in Europe for our common defense. The policy of even greater energy independence of Europe from Russia. The policy of even greater sanctions against Russia.

It is not normal when there are still no blocking sanctions against Rosatom for radiation blackmail at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, for which specific Rosatom employees at the plant are also responsible. And it is not normal when any Russian citizen can get a visa to European countries to go on vacation or go shopping – we know this very well – even if he is a war criminal or helps the Russian state work against Europe. It is not normal when some European companies are still hesitant whether to leave the Russian market or not. And it is not normal when someone still hopes for cooperation with Russia in the energy sector. There can be no concessions to bandits! Only new sanction strikes against them.

I want to give an example of Norway – an example of true principles in the defense of Europe. Despite the fact that Norway is not a member of the European Union, you joined the European sanctions against Russia. Defense and other assistance to our country from Norway is vital – we will always be grateful for it. We are glad to hear that your energy companies are increasing the volume of gas supplies to European countries, while Russia is willing to simply burn gas in order not to supply it. And we note Norway’s contribution to the development of renewable energy sources, to carbon capture and storage, to the development of batteries and hydrogen energy. Europe will become truly strong and secure from crises when all European countries become as principled as Norway.

For its part, Ukraine can already do – and is doing – concrete things to protect our common values and normal life on the continent.

We are fighting for freedom and for everything that Europe is based on, defending all Europeans in this war. And this is not pathos – this is the truth! We have united Europeans and helped overcome the various contradictions that have been dividing the continent for decades. We have shown what power Europe has when united and what enemies it can overcome.

In addition, Ukraine can become – I believe it will become – one of the guarantors of the energy security of the European continent. Together with Ukraine, you will be able to prevent such price crises ever again.

We have a unique system of gas storage facilities near the border of the European Union, with a volume of more than 30 billion cubic meters. We are asked about help. That’s how practical it is – use our gas storages already this season. Today, for example, we have a free volume of 15 billion cubic meters. Ukraine needs 3 billion of additional reserves, which we ask you to keep in Ukraine, and another 12 billion cubic meters may be the gas needed in winter for the security of all of Europe. You can help us – and this will be your help both to us and to yourself.

Ukraine also has significant deposits of natural gas. The leadership of Russia dreamed of stealing this part of our national wealth from us as well. But we will not allow it. We invite all investors, contractors and service companies to join gas production in Ukraine. If you want to help us pragmatically, please use this tool. Obtain licenses, enter into agreements on the distribution of products, carry out exploration and drilling. We would appreciate it. Our gas fields can play the same stabilizing role for Europe as the fields of Norway in particular.

We are preparing to increase the export of our electricity to the countries of the European Union – despite the war, during the war we ensure this export, and our electricity is much cheaper than what is currently available on the market. We can really help overcome the cost of living crisis in our neighboring EU countries.

And we invite you to invest in the production of green energy and green hydrogen in Ukraine. Our state is one of the best locations for providing all of Europe with green energy and green hydrogen. We have everything for this – enough land, good wind, good sun, as well as ready-made energy logistics – powerful power transmission lines, gas pipelines that can be used for hydrogen – of course, after appropriate modernization.

We are not saying for the first time that Europe’s independence from Russia, particularly in energy, is of fundamental importance to all Europeans. And we are not saying for the first time that Europe can do much more together with Ukraine than with Russia.

We don’t want to look into the past, we don’t want to repeat who didn’t hear us. Ukraine wants us all not to lose the opportunities we have at this historical moment. Only together can we protect Europe. Only by preserving our maximum principles. And only by achieving victory in this war together.

I thank you for your attention! Thank you!

Glory to Ukraine!

 

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 24 August 2022.

I am thankful to everyone present for this opportunity, for your support!

Greetings from independent and free Ukraine! But from Ukraine, which is still forced to fight for its freedom against Russian terror.

Just now, on my way to deliver this address, I received information about a Russian missile attack on the Dnipropetrovsk region, on the railway station, directly on the cars at the Chaplyne station, four passenger cars are on fire… As of now, at least 15 people have been killed, about 50 have been wounded. Rescuers are working. But, unfortunately, the number of dead may still increase.

This is how we live every day. This is how Russia prepared for this meeting of the UN Security Council.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Mr. President!

Mr. Secretary-General!

Dear members of the UN Security Council – all those who respect and adhere to the UN Charter!

Today, our state celebrates the main national holiday – Independence Day. And now you all see how many things in the world are dependent precisely on the independence of our state, on whether Ukraine is at peace, whether our people are safe, whether the integrity of our territory and the inviolability of our borders are guaranteed.

You can take any aspect of the terrible war that Russia has unleashed against us, and in every such aspect there will be the roots of one global crisis or another.

What exactly is happening now?

Russia has put the world on the brink of a radiation disaster. It is a fact that the Russian military made the territory of the largest nuclear power plant in Europe – the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant – a combat zone. This is a fact.

Because of Russia’s armed provocations, because of shelling, because of the deployment of terrorists under the Russian flag on the territory of the plant. Now all of Europe and all neighboring regions are under the threat of radiation pollution. This is a fact.

Who among you has forgotten what Chornobyl is? The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant consists of six reactors. One reactor exploded in Chornobyl.

The IAEA mission must take permanent control of the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as soon as possible, and Russia must unconditionally stop nuclear blackmail and completely leave the plant.

Russia has put the world on the brink of an unprecedented famine. It is a fact that the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov has increased the deficit in the already destabilized food market. And this is against the background of the terrible climatic situation in different parts of the planet – you can take the drought in Europe alone, the largest in 500 years.

Fortunately, we managed to achieve such conditions under which Russia was forced to accept the terms of the international community, and thanks to this, grain exports from three Ukrainian ports were restored. This already relieves part of the tension in the food market, but does not remove the threat completely.

Only the full recovery of Ukrainian agricultural exports without any obstacles can be a guarantee that tens of millions of people around the world will have something to eat.

And don’t you resent the fact that even now, in the XXI century, we still have to fight to save tens of millions of people in different countries from artificial famine, precisely artificial famine, which was provoked by one state with its insane aggression? And this is also a fact.

Ukrainians are outraged. The UN was not created to discuss in the XXI century something that should have long remained in the past.

But, nevertheless, I am thankful to the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres, and Türkiye, Mr. President, as well as all other conscientious subjects of international relations who are fighting against the food crisis, which only Russia is responsible for.

And in the coming weeks, we must do everything to expand the existing grain export initiative.

Let’s take another aspect – energy. It is a fact that Russia is deliberately trying to bring tens of millions of people into energy poverty. Deprive them of normal access to basic goods by deliberately raising energy prices.

And this is done by a permanent member of the UN Security Council, who still has the privilege of veto! Energy crisis for Europe, threat of large-scale famine, political chaos for African and Asian countries, price crisis for the whole world. Isn’t too much allowed to one state, whose representative is sitting among you?

And I will mention one more aspect – values.

Yes, indeed, we should be honest about the fact that values are perceived differently in different parts of the world. They look at it differently. But everywhere in the world, life has value. Peace has value. Economic prosperity has value.

All states, if they respect themselves and their people, punish murder and do not honor torturers. However, we see that there is a state that not just behaves differently, but that is proud to behave differently. It awards murderers, encourages torturers.

And this is a threat not only for Ukraine. Thousands of Ukrainians were killed by the Russian invaders. Dozens of our cities were destroyed by Russian artillery. Russia does not adhere to basic conventions regarding prisoners of war. This was also discussed today.

The deliberate murder by the Russian occupiers of our prisoners of war in Olenivka became one of the most dreadful pages in the history of Europe. And there is an urgent need for a UN fact-finding mission to Olenivka, whose mandate should be extended to all Ukrainian prisoners of war currently held by Russian forces.

There is no war crime that the Russian occupiers have not yet committed on the territory of our independent state. But if we do not stop Russia now in Ukraine, if we do not stop it with the victory of Ukraine, all these Russian murderers will inevitably end up in other countries.

Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America – traces of Russian war criminals are everywhere already, and we must all unite and act as resolutely as possible so that there are no more traces of Russian missiles and cities burned by Russian artillery anywhere else.

So that there is never again a threat of a radiation disaster, Russia must leave the occupied territory of Ukraine.

So that there is never a food crisis again, Russia must leave our land and our sea.

So that no country in the world can ever again disregard the UN Charter and conventions binding on all mankind, without exception for anyone – Russia must be held accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The relevant resolution will be submitted for consideration by the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

In order for a sense of justice to return to international relations, we must all confirm and force Russia to recognize that the inviolability of borders and peace are unconditional values for all nations.

That is why the independence and integrity of our state are of fundamental importance for international relations. Preserving our independence, guaranteeing our security, returning normal economic ties with Ukraine will restore the true power of the UN Charter and save the world from the crises we are all forced to experience now.

Mr. Secretary-General, Distinguished António Guterres, has the ambitious intention of organizing the Summit of the Future next year. We support this intention. And we emphasize: in order to build the future, it is necessary to leave in the trashbox of history what has always prevented humanity from living in peace, namely aggression and colonial ambitions. That is, what Russia came to Ukraine with.

And I believe that we will really be able to build the future. It would be very nice and symbolic for such a Summit to take place in Ukraine. As it is on our territory, on the territory of Ukraine, that it is now being decided whether we will have a future at all, whether the world will have a future at all. This is being decided at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, in our seaports, in Donbas and in Crimea.

Our independence is your security. The security of the entire free world.

I thank you very much for this opportunity, for understanding my situation, the situation of our country. Thank you! I am grateful to the Chinese Presidency for the opportunity to participate in this meeting in an online format.

Glory to Ukraine!

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 24 August 2022.

The free people of independent Ukraine!

And that says it all. Just four words, but how much is behind them today. On the 182nd day of the full-scale war. How many symbols and meanings, feats and losses, joy and pain are in these words. And mainly how much truth is in them. Our truth. Truth about our present, with which it is impossible to argue, as it is impossible not to see and not to admit. We are the free people of independent Ukraine. After six months of the attempts to destroy us, we are the free people of independent Ukraine. And this is the truth about our future. The free people of independent Ukraine.

Six months ago, Russia declared war against us. On February 24, the entire Ukraine heard explosions and gunshots. And on August 24, it wasn’t supposed to hear the words “Happy Independence Day”. On February 24, we were told: you have no chance. On August 24, we say: Happy Independence Day, Ukraine!

During these six months, we changed history, changed the world and changed ourselves. Now we know for sure who is really our brother and friend, and who is not even a casual acquaintance. Who did not lose his name and reputation, and who worried for the terrorists to save face. Who doesn’t really need us, and where the door is really open for us. We understood who is who. And the whole world learned who Ukrainians are. What Ukraine is. No one will say about it anymore: it is somewhere over there, near Russia.

We started to respect ourselves. We understood that despite any help and support, no one but us will fight for our independence. And we united.

We didn’t have HIMARS yet, but we had people willing to stop tanks with their bare hands. They were not ready to close the sky for us, but we had people willing to cover their native land with themselves.

The Ukrainian people and their courage inspired the whole world. They gave humanity a new hope that justice has not completely left our cynical world. And it is still not force that wins in it, but truth. Not money, but values. Not oil, but people.

Yesterday the world was not united. COVID-19 clearly showed: it’s every man for himself. Ukraine has changed this in six months. All world history textbooks will have a section “Times when Ukraine united the world”. When democracy grew teeth again. When tyranny receives an answer in the language it understands.

Someone said: Europe is no longer a player. Weak, disunited, passive, sleepy. Ukraine invigorated the whole continent. Europe takes to the squares. Europe introduces tough sanctions. Europe unanimously recognizes that Ukraine is a future member of the European Union.

Big business realized that money still smells. With blood, cinder, death. Corporations and brands are leaving the Russian market, and people have become more important than potential losses.

Never before in the world has public opinion had such an influence on politicians. Today, people dictate trends and rules of behavior to the authorities. Being indifferent, inactive and slow is a shame. Being indecisive and too cautious is a shame. Speaking sluggishly, vaguely and too diplomatically is a shame. Not supporting Ukraine is a shame. And saying about fatigue from Ukraine is a shame. This is a very comfortable position: fatigue is a cover to close your eyes. And today we hear from world leaders and ordinary citizens: we will be with you until the end, until your victory.

Dear people!

We always paid tribute to all the fighters for independence, called this day the main holiday, and the blue-yellow flag – a shrine, put our hands to our hearts while singing the national anthem, and proudly said “Glory to Ukraine!” and “Glory to Heroes!”. On February 24, we had to prove our words with deeds.

On this day, the second all-Ukrainian referendum actually took place. Again – the main question. Again – a decisive choice. But this time it was necessary to say “yes” to independence not in the ballot, but in the soul and conscience. Go not to the precinct, but to the military commissariat departments, the territorial defense units, the volunteer movement, the information troops or simply work steadily and conscientiously in your place, at full strength, for a common goal.

We all changed. Someone was born again. As a person, individual, citizen, patriot, simply as a Ukrainian. And this, of course, is good news. Someone disappeared. Did not perish, did not die, but dissolved. As a person, individual, citizen, as a Ukrainian. And this is actually not bad news either. We will not hinder each other anymore.

We made a choice. For some, it is Mariupol. For some – Monaco. But we know who the majority is. And we finally became truly one. A new nation that emerged on February 24 at 4 am. Not born, but reborn. A nation that didn’t cry, didn’t scream, didn’t get scared. Didn’t run away. Didn’t give up. Didn’t forget.

This flag will be everywhere it should be by right. Both in Donbas and in Crimea. The enemy thought we would greet him with flowers and champagne. Instead, he received wreaths and Molotov cocktails. He was waiting for an ovation, but hears “claps”.

The occupier believed that in a few days he would be on parade in our capital’s downtown. Today, you can see this “parade” on Khreshchatyk. The proof that enemy equipment can appear in the center of Kyiv only in such form. Burnt, wrecked and destroyed.

It doesn’t matter to us what kind of army you have, what matters to us is our land. We will fight for it until the end.

We are holding on for six months. It is difficult for us, but we clenched our fists fighting for our fate. Every new day is a new reason not to give up. Because, having gone through so much, we have no right not to reach the end. What is the end of the war for us? We used to say: peace. Now we say: victory.

We will not seek an understanding with the terrorists. Although we understand the Russian language that you came to defend. And killed thousands of people you came to liberate.

And Johnson, who speaks English, is much more understandable and close to us than murderers, rapists and looters who did it in Russian.

And we don’t sit down at the negotiating table because of fear, with a gun pointed at our head. For us, the most terrible iron is not missiles, aircraft and tanks, but shackles. Not trenches, but fetters.

And we will put our hands up only once – when we will celebrate our victory. The whole of Ukraine. Because we do not trade our lands and our people. For us, Ukraine is all of Ukraine. All 25 regions, without any concessions or compromises. We do not know these words, they were destroyed by missiles on February 24.

Donbas is Ukraine. And we will return it, whatever the path may be. Crimea is Ukraine. And we will return it. Whatever the path may be. You don’t want your soldiers to die? Free our lands. You don’t want your mothers to cry? Free our lands. These are our simple and clear terms.

The free people of independent Ukraine!

We are facing this day in different places. Someone is in trenches and dugouts, in tanks and IFVs, at sea and in the air. Fighting for independence on the frontline. Someone is on the road, in cars, trucks and trains. Fighting for independence by delivering what is necessary to those on the frontline. And someone is on a smartphone or on a computer. Also fighting for independence by raising funds so that those on the road have something to bring to those on the frontline.

We are facing this day in different circumstances, conditions and even in different time zones, but with one goal – preservation of independence and victory of Ukraine!

We united.

Happy Independence Day of Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 24 August 2022.

Ukrainians!

All our defenders!

Today was a useful day for Ukraine, very meaningful. A day that showed how strong our state has become, and this is not the limit yet. We are doing everything so that the strength of Ukraine, the opportunities of Ukraine, the freedom of Ukraine only increase.

Today we celebrate the day of our flag, and it happens at a time when we are fighting against the most dreadful threat to our statehood and at the same time when we have achieved the greatest national unity. That is why we endured. Because we united and united the world around true values.

Our national flag has become a global symbol of courage. A symbol of all who value a free life. Where there is blue and yellow, there is no and will be no tyranny. Where there is blue and yellow, there are no and will not be savages.

Our flag is everywhere – from the frontline, where our warriors beat the enemy, to capitals on all continents, and it means one thing everywhere – humanity.

I am grateful to everyone who defends true values. I am grateful to everyone who helps Ukraine. I am grateful to everyone who, since February 24, has chosen the path of struggle for what makes life real: for freedom, for independence.

Very soon we will celebrate our main national holiday – our independence. Already tomorrow. We have planned many activities – something that will emphasize the path we have covered. Covered together – Ukrainians in Ukraine, throughout our territory – free and temporarily occupied, because our people are fighting everywhere. Ukrainians abroad – all those who helped, all those who spread the truth about Ukraine, all those who urged to fight for Ukraine.

No occupier feels safe on our land. All collaborators know that they have no future. And we all do not just believe – we see that our state has a perspective.

And for tomorrow, I have planned to award people who have contributed to our strength. These are people from different areas of life. Our warriors, all those who help warriors. Communication officers, railwaymen, rescuers, media workers, those who inform our people, who work in the national marathon “United News”. These are utility workers, electricians, drivers, volunteers, officials, athletes, artists – those artists who are known on the frontline, whom the army is grateful to, those who preserve and restore the positive emotions of our warriors.

I asked various ministries, regional administrations, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, media representatives to submit their proposals on who deserves awards on Independence Day. It is up to you to decide. And tomorrow the awards will be given to those who really deserve them.

Now I am near the office of the Crimea Platform, near the building that symbolizes that we care about every part of Ukraine, about every part of our people – the great Ukrainian people. Crimea is an integral part of our state, Crimea is Ukraine. Crimea is an integral part of our people. And we will certainly come to our cities in Crimea, to our people in Crimea and return to them the freedom that belongs to them by right, as well as to all our other people.

That is why we have organized a special format – the Crimean format, the Crimea Platform. We held the inaugural summit last summer and today we have already held the second one. I am grateful to all participants of the summit – 40 leaders, almost 60 states and international organizations. European leaders, leaders of the G7, leaders of the countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America. This is not just a meeting, not just a discussion. The Crimea Platform became a global forum that united the leaders of the free world. This is a community of people who help restore peace and legality for Crimea, for the Black Sea region, for all of Europe.

And the fact that we are holding the summit for the second time right now, with the expansion of the representation, is a clear response of the world to Russian aggression. Clear support for our sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders. Russian aggression began in Crimea, and its finale will be in Crimea as well.

In Kyiv, on Constitution Square, the Walk of the Brave was opened today – a place to honor the personal strength of those people who did not fail after February 24, who were not afraid, who did not retreat under the pressure of tyranny. Who helped us fight against Russian aggression and is still helping us. And the first name that we presented on the Walk of the Brave is the name of Andrzej Duda, the President of Poland. He was in Kyiv today, participating in the Crimea Platform. And for not a single day during these six months has he lost strength in supporting Ukraine. I am grateful to him!

I definitely want to address our Kharkiv and all Kharkiv residents separately today. You are heroic people, a heroic city. A proud city. A city with a sense of self-respect. A city that knows how to defend itself. A city whose people know how to unite. A neat city. A city that always impresses everyone who comes and sees how Kharkiv residents take care of their streets and yards even when they are under the brutal pressure of Russian terrorists.

Today is Kharkiv Day. Now our Kharkiv is not willing to celebrate. Yes, Kharkiv experienced a lot of injustice and cruelty. But Kharkiv will never be a city of black scorched windows and ruined districts. Kharkiv will never submit to this evil, which has nothing but artillery and missiles.

We will definitely liberate the entire Kharkiv region. We will find a way to guarantee security to our Kharkiv. And we will do everything to restore the city. I promise!

Fellow Ukrainians!

Tomorrow is an important day for all of us. And that is why this day, unfortunately, is also important for our enemy. We must be aware that tomorrow hideous Russian provocations and brutal strikes are possible.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine, our intelligence, special services will do everything to protect people – as much as possible. And we will certainly respond to any manifestation of Russian terror.

But please follow the safety rules strictly tomorrow. Please observe the curfew. Pay attention to the air sirens. Pay attention to official announcements. And remember: we must all achieve victory together.

Eternal glory to all who fight for Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 23 August 2022.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Dear participants and guests of the Crimea Platform, present here and there, not far from us, and we feel it!

Dear citizens of Ukraine from Crimea and in Crimea.

I know you are watching and hearing us today. It is very important for us. It is very important for me. For society, for each and every one of us. I know that Crimea stands with Ukraine and is waiting for us to return. I want you all to know, we will definitely be back. When we return and correct everything that the occupiers did on our Ukrainian peninsula.

What has come to Crimea and the entire Black Sea region along with Russian aggression and Russian weapons? Catastrophic environmental threats, unprecedented destruction of Crimea’s nature, destruction of social life, economic decline, destruction of monuments, militarism. And when the Russian fleet, which is based in the occupied Crimea, blocked our ports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, it provoked a global food crisis and the crisis of the rights of people – Crimeans, our wonderful citizens, citizens of our unitary state of Ukraine.

But – in spite of everything, in spite of any threats – Ukraine is strong enough and capable enough to see a perspective for the Ukrainian Crimea.

I have the honor to announce the start of the Second Summit of the Crimea Platform.

In a year, we managed to significantly expand the capabilities of the Crimea Platform, Minister Kuleba mentioned that. Last year, 46 foreign countries and international organizations participated in the summit. This year the figure is almost 60. I am grateful to everyone. Much more state leaders – 40 presidents and prime ministers, including the leaders of the G7. I am grateful to all of you for understanding how important such actions are now – your support, our joint actions and our joint work.

This year, representatives of two more continents – Africa and South America – have joined, and this demonstrates that there is no boundary in the world that the truth about the Russian war against Ukraine and our people would not overcome.

Of course, it is obvious whom we have to fight. The presence of obvious security risks dictates that the summit takes place in online mode. But international practice has already proven that such a regime can be absolutely effective for politics, diplomacy, and most importantly, for the protection of freedom.

And especially now I want to thank one of the leaders who is with us here in Kyiv today – Andrzej Duda, the President of Poland and a true friend of all Ukrainians. Andrzej, your presence next to me, next to the people of Ukraine, once again confirms the extremely close ties and historical understanding that exist between Ukrainians and Poles. Thank you!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

When I speak to our citizens, I often use the honorific address: all our defenders. In fact, today, addressing you, honorable leaders, honorable ministers, I can use the same words and with a related meaning: all defenders of the international legal order!

This is why we are here today, this is why the Crimea Platform was established and has been working for a year already.

We are restoring the power of international law, and it is thanks to this that we will return the Ukrainian flag to our land of Crimea, it is thanks to this that we will bring freedom to Ukrainian citizens in Crimea and certainly restore justice for all those who suffered from repression and abuse by the Russian occupiers.

But to win, we must not forget the path that led to the current situation.

The degradation of Russia began with the seizure of Crimea. It started with terror against the Crimean Tatar people, the indigenous people of Crimea. With repression on religious grounds, which probably became the largest religious persecution in Europe in the XXI century, against the Crimean Muslim community.

There was also the expulsion from occupied Crimea of all ordinary people who said that Crimea is Ukraine, who were not afraid to defend Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian freedom in Crimea. Murders and torture – we saw it all – humiliation and looting – the occupiers committed all this in Crimea and continue to commit all this since the first weeks after its shameful capture. And then they spread these crimes to Donbas, to other countries, in particular to Syria, to African countries, where Russian banditry under the cover of Russian special services is now seen.

Mass terror after February 24 became the logical completion of the degradation of this state, which not so long ago was invited to the table with the G7 and which now competes for supremacy with the most brutal regimes of the past, responsible for genocides, wars of aggression and deportations.

We are grateful that many people in the world did not keep silent about all this, many people constantly resisted – helped us, fought. But at the same time, many remained silent – and it is true – tried not to notice what was happening in Crimea. And this, in my opinion, became one of the key reasons for everything that is happening now in Ukraine and in the world.

It is important to remember that there was resistance on the peninsula. There were and are people, we know, who are not silent, who defend freedom and simply defend normal life in Crimea. They are oppressed. But we see them, we know about them, we are grateful to them.

I recently received a letter from one of the qırımlılar, Nariman Celâl. Unfortunately, he is now behind bars. The occupiers imprisoned him on a completely false charge, for fighting for the homeland, for taking part in the first summit of the Crimea Platform, which took place last year. Last year, he left the already occupied Crimea to tell the participants of the summit what is really happening on the peninsula and what it all will lead to. And nine days after his return to Crimea, the occupiers deprived him of his freedom. For the fact that he was simply a free man. This was Russia’s response.

In his letter, Mr. Celâl wrote: “It began with Crimea, and it will end with Crimea.” And it really will. I believe in it. In order to overcome terror, to return predictability and security to our region, Europe and the whole world, we need to win the fight against Russian aggression, and therefore we need to free Crimea from occupation. It will end where it began.

And this will be an effective resuscitation of the international legal order.

But this is not just a political and legal task for the world. This is about a specific land, about specific people living in Crimea. About cities, about culture, about specific landmarks. About hopes of specific living people. About the fact that someone invested his life in Crimea, and after the arrival of Russia, was forced to leave it and seek refuge in other lands, or fear that something of his own would be taken away: a house, land, work, any business… And he was forced to limit himself. Or lose everything when it was taken.

Russia stole a part of life even from those in Crimea who were lucky enough not to become a victim of repression. It was impossible to imagine such a thing, but the occupation turned Crimea – which is a paradise for all of us – into a depressed and dependent region. Into a region of high fences, barbed wire and lawlessness. Into a zone of environmental disaster and a military bridgehead for aggression and the spread of grief.

Since February 24, 750 different cruise missiles have been launched from the occupied Crimea at our cities and communities. Imagine – 750 in six months! They destroyed at least hundreds of civilian objects: schools, universities, ordinary residential buildings, hospitals.

And that is why Ukraine’s restoration of control over the Crimean peninsula will be a historic anti-war step in Europe.

This will restore security and provide justice, this will reintegrate Crimea into the modern world, and this will allow each of us – participants of the Crimea Platform – to tell our children, our relatives and friends that they can be proud of us precisely as peacekeepers.

And I want to emphasize: for Ukraine, Crimea is not just some territory, not a chip in the geopolitical game, as for a terrorist state. For Ukraine, Crimea is a part of our people, our society. A community of people to whom we will guarantee freedom and restore modernity.

Crimea was and is Ukraine, and after deoccupation, along with our entire state, it will become part of the European Union. I am sure of that. The passport of a citizen of Ukraine will also be the passport of the European Union. These are colossal opportunities for all our people living in Crimea.

The roads of Crimea will be the roads of the entire European continent, the ports of Crimea will be the ports of all of Europe. Only Ukraine can connect Simferopol with Berlin, and Yalta with Naples.

Only Ukraine is concerned about the real security of Crimea. That is, a normal supply of clean water, normal disposal of garbage, effective rules for waste and sewage management.

Only Ukraine can build a modern irrigation system in Crimea and integrate Crimean agricultural production and the entire business sector into the colossal European market.

Only our state will provide Crimea with a modern and affordable medical system, a modern and affordable educational system, and a modern digital system of public services.

Ukraine will remove the barbed wire that blocks the path of ordinary people to the best locations, and the illegal fences that have torn the coast of our beautiful Crimea. Free access to beaches, real protection of protected areas, historical sites – this will be provided only by Ukraine, not by someone who came to capture, steal and humiliate people.

It is Ukraine that will restore the system of sanatoria and rehabilitation centers in Crimea – professional institutions that will be able to host hundreds of thousands of people annually. Millions of tourists. Children and adults, civilians and veterans, our citizens and foreigners – everyone whom the precious nature of Crimea helps. And millions of tourists – at least of the middle class – can come to Crimea stably only thanks to Ukraine.

There will never be repressions under the Ukrainian authorities in Crimea, and everyone knows that. The lack of freedom or moral suffocation that Russia brought in 2014. And even more so, Ukraine will never ignore the social needs of pensioners or anyone else in Crimea. Ukraine will never tell people: “There is no money, but hold on”, because we respect people, and even this year, already in the bloody times of a full-scale war, we indexed pensions for all our pensioners.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I think you felt from my words that we have a very elaborated view of how to restore our Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea after the expulsion of the Russian invaders. That is why we are adding two more directions to the work of the Crimea Platform: economic and legislative directions.

We have a strategy for the restoration of Crimea – today it will be presented as part of the economic panel.

And we are creating a legislative foundation for Crimea – after deoccupation, as well as for all those for whom Crimea is much more than even home.

We adopted the Law “On Indigenous Peoples”, which protected the rights of the Crimean Tatar people and Mejlis, Karaites and Krymchaks. We are developing the Crimean Tatar language. A law was passed on the protection of political prisoners – all those who suffered from the repressions of the occupiers. And these are just some examples. We are not going to stop there – there is still a lot of work to do.

This year, the Crimea Platform will be continued in the autumn – in Croatia – with a parliamentary summit. No longer online, with the presence of parliamentary delegations of the world. We use all the power of democracies to protect our state and the international legal order.

And, returning to the letter of Nariman Celâl, who was imprisoned by the occupiers, I want to read a few more important words: “Thanks to the change in the agenda on the world stage, in Europe and in Ukraine itself due to the aggression of the Russian Federation, the members of the Crimea Platform have a more determined attitude focused on the implementation of specific measures.”

The person who was sent to jail by the occupiers only for defending the truth and participating in last year’s Crimea Platform hopes for specific measures from all of us – participants of the summit. And we all must not deceive this hope. We all have to be strong and effective.

Thank you for your attention!

I am grateful to each and every one for participating in our second summit, to everyone present on this platform.

Glory to Ukraine!