Tag: 2022

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 9 March 2022.

Brave Ukrainians of the unconquered country!

It is already the 14th day of our defense. The 14th day of our unity. Truly all-Ukrainian. The scale of the threat to the state is maximum. The invasion contingent has already brought into our territory almost everyone who was gathered to invade Ukraine. But the scale of our answer is maximum as well. And these are two different words “maximum”.

They have only equipment. At the maximum. We have our people in addition to the equipment. Up to the mark. They only have orders. To attack, to kill, to abuse. And we have a real desire of millions of Ukrainians to win. Defend ourselves. Clear our state…

And on the renewed land

There will be no enemy, adversary,

And there will be a son, and there will be a mother,

And there will be people on the land.

Today is Taras Shevchenko’s birthday. This is our old dream. It is his dream to clean the land. And it is alive! And quite real.

Ukrainians!

Everything is in our hands! We withstood and inspired the whole world with our determination. There is no such place on earth where they are not aware of the heroism with which the Ukrainian people defend our beautiful land. Even where we are not supported, they know well what we have achieved. And they feel what else we will achieve if we save the country. If we maintain unity. National force. If we continue to respond wisely and boldly to the activity of the enemy who can destroy the walls of our homes, our schools, our churches, who can destroy Ukrainian enterprises, but will never reach our soul, our heart, our ability to live freely and fight boldly.

Our military and territorial defense units managed to replenish the arsenal of our equipment due to the many trophies they took on the battlefield. Enemy tanks, armored vehicles, ammunition will now work for our defense. For our lives. For our country. What could be more humiliating for the invaders? We will beat the enemy with his own weapons. In addition to ours, which the Russian troops have already felt well, so that more and more enemy soldiers and commanders are asking themselves a simple question: why were they sent to this foreign land, to this war? And we have no answer. Except for one word – death.

Russian soldiers!

You still have a chance to survive. Almost two weeks of our resistance have shown you that we will not give up. Because this is our home. These are our families and children. We will fight until we regain our land and take revenge for all our killed people. For the killed children. You can still be saved if you just leave. Do not believe your commanders when they tell you that you still have a chance in Ukraine. Nothing is waiting for you here. Except for captivity, except for death. You take our lives and give yours. And we know – we have communications interception – that your commanders already understand everything.

This war must be ended. We must return to peace. Leave our home, go back to yours.

14 days of a full-scale brutal war. Terror against our people.

Destruction of cities, blockade of entire districts, constant bombing… 14 days of absence of a vital decision. Not our decision! We would make that decision in hours if we had to help our friends.

From the first day of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has been repeating to its partners that if you do not close the sky, you will also be responsible for this catastrophe, a large-scale humanitarian catastrophe.

Russia uses missiles, aircraft, helicopters against us, against civilians, against our cities, against our infrastructure. This is the world’s humanitarian duty to respond. But… There is no decision.

We are grateful to Poland for the alternative – for its readiness to provide Ukraine with combat aircraft. The problem is in logistics. In fact, it is a technical issue. It must be solved! Immediately.

There is an official decision of Poland to transfer the planes to the relevant base – the American base. We also have confirmation – we have all heard – that the agreement between the American party and Poland has been reached. But at the same time we hear that Poland’s proposal is allegedly unfounded. And that’s what they say in Washington. We also read this. So when will the decision be made? Listen: we have a war! We do not have time for all these signals. This is not ping pong! This is about human lives! We ask once again: solve it faster. Do not shift the responsibility, send us planes.

Yesterday we finally managed to organize a humanitarian corridor. From the city of Sumy to Poltava. 1,600 students and 3,500 residents were rescued. Evacuation of people from cities and towns of the Kyiv region continues. More than 18,000 people have already been rescued from Dymer, Vorzel and Irpin. Today we will do everything to continue the functioning of humanitarian corridors. Sumy – Poltava. Izyum – Lozova. Enerhodar – Zaporizhzhia. Mariupol – Zaporizhzhia. Vorzel, Bucha, Borodyanka, Hostomel to Kyiv. Our government officials are working on this, our servicemen have created all the conditions. If there is at least one shot, full responsibility lies with the invaders.

And you have already seen the world’s response. Powerful. Sanction packages.

In the morning I spoke with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau. We have full understanding. Full support. Our delegation returned from Belarus last night, from negotiations. I will listen to their report. We will prepare for the next rounds of talks. For the sake of Ukraine. For peace.

And finally. Concerning our unity. This is our strength. This is what is needed at this time. We are receiving a lot of signals that someone in Ukraine has decided that he or she may not fight anymore together with everyone. And tries somehow separately, for something personal, for some personal benefit…

We are receiving various signals that some politicians are looking for threads to Russia again.

And some others are again working for a split, contrary to unity.

I want to say one thing and only once: I see what you are doing. If I hear another signal, the answer will be quick. As befits wartime.

Thank God, our people have already sorted everything and everyone out.

Glory to Ukraine!

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, televised to the House of Commons on 8 March 2022.

Mr Speaker, Prime Minister, Members of Parliament, ladies and gentlemen, I am addressing all the people of the United Kingdom, a country with a big history. I am addressing you as a citizen and the President of another big country with a dream. I want to tell you about the 13 days of war—a war that we did not start and did not want. However, we have to conduct this war. We do not want to lose what is ours—our country—just as you once did not want to lose yours to the Nazis and you had to fight for Britain.

On day one, at four o’clock in the morning, we were attacked by cruise missiles. Everybody woke up—people, children, the whole of Ukraine—and we have not slept since. We have all been fighting for our country alongside our army.

On day two, we suffered airstrikes, and our heroic military servicemen on the island of Zmiinyi fought when Russian forces demanded that they lay down arms. However, we continued fighting, and they felt the force of our people, who will oppose the occupiers until the end.

The next day, artillery started firing at us. Our army showed us who we are, and we saw who are people and who are beasts.

On day four, we started taking people captive. We did not torture them, remaining humane even on day four of this terrible war.

On day five, the terror against us affected our children and cities, and constant shelling happened around the country, including on hospitals. That did not break us, but gave us a feeling of great certainty.

On day six, Russian rockets fell on Babyn Yar, where the Nazis killed thousands of people during the second world war. Eighty years later, the Russians hit them for the second time.

On day seven, even churches were getting destroyed by shelling.

On day eight, we saw Russian tanks hitting the nuclear power station, and everybody got to understand that this is a terror against everyone.

On day nine, a meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly ended without the result we were looking for. We learned that, unfortunately, alliances do not always work properly, and the no-fly zone was not enforced.

On day 10, Ukrainians started protesting en masse, stopping armoured vehicles with their own hands.

On day 11, children, cities and hospitals were hit with rockets and constant shelling. On that day, we realised that Ukrainians have become heroes—entire cities, children and adults.

On day 12, the losses of the Russian army exceeded 10,000 people killed, including a general. We were given hope that there will be some kind of responsibility for these people in court.

On day 13, the city of Mariupol was attacked by the Russian forces, and a child was killed. The Russians did not allow any food or water, and people started panicking—they do not have water.

Over those 13 days, over 50 children have been killed. Those children could have lived, but these people have taken them away from us.

Ukraine was not looking for this war. Ukrainians have not been looking to become big, but they have become big over the 13 days of this war. We are saving people despite having to fight one of the biggest armies in the world, with its helicopters and rockets. The question for us now is, “To be, or not to be”. This Shakespearean question could have been asked over the past 13 days, but I can now give you a definitive answer: it is definitely, “To be”.

I remind you of the words that the United Kingdom has already heard because they are important again. We will not give up, and we will not lose. We will fight until the end at sea and in the air. We will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost. We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the shores and in the streets. We will fight on the banks of our rivers, like the Dnipro.

We are looking for help from civilised countries, and we are thankful for this help. I am very grateful to you, Boris. Please increase the pressure of sanctions against Russia and please recognise that country as a terrorist state. Please ensure that our Ukrainian skies are safe. Please make sure that you do what needs to be done and what is required by the greatness of your country. I wish my best to Ukraine and to the United Kingdom. [Applause.]