Tag: 2022

The address made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 28 December 2022.

Glory to Ukraine!

Dear Mr. Chairman, dear people’s deputies of our strong Ukraine, dear government officials!

Dear guests, dear attendees!

Dear Ukrainian warriors!

Ukrainian people!

Let’s talk about Ukraine today.

About how everyone has changed in these 10 months. And about how we changed the whole world.

About our strength.

All this time we were one. Just like now in this hall, when everyone answered – “Glory to the heroes”.

Glory to Ukraine!

Due to our unity, we have achieved what almost no one in the world, in the whole world, believed in. Almost no one except us.

Ukraine has become one of the global leaders.

Our national colors are today an international symbol of courage and indomitability of the whole world. In any country, on any continent, when they see blue and yellow, they know that it is about freedom. About the people who did not give up, who endured, who united the world. And who will win.

Thanks to Ukraine, the world believed that values give strength. This belief emerged following our struggle. The world became convinced that tyranny will lose. Following our faith. The world saw that freedom can be victorious. Following our achievements on the battlefield. And all our warriors.

It will definitely happen.

Ukraine will definitely win.

In 10 months of this year, we helped everyone. We helped the West find itself again, return to the global arena and feel how much the West prevails. No one in the West is afraid of Russia anymore and will never be.

We helped the European Union acquire real agency. We helped Europe feel like not several championships with teams of different levels, but one strong team that, together with the whole free world, is fighting for this important victory.

It was Ukraine that united the European Union. It turned out that it is possible!

And now Europe defends itself. Europe overcomes crises. And this is despite the colossal resources thrown by Russia to break our continent.

Everything that Russia tried to do against Europe did not work. Every Russian step was a mistake.

And our steps did work.

And for the first time in history, the European Union is helping to defend against such large-scale aggression. For the first time, a number of EU countries have changed their legislation and political rules and are now providing armed support to our state.

For the first time in history, some European countries have reconsidered the concept of neutrality and resist aggression together with us, together with Ukraine.

We helped Europe and most of the world feel that being neutral now is, pardon me, immoral. 143 states voted for the resolution of the UN General Assembly in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the full implementation of the UN Charter.

This is a really striking example. This is the biggest number in 10 months and 8 years. And I thank everyone who worked for this result. Unprecedentedly actively. Congratulations! This is a great victory!

During this time after February 24, I alone had 850 international events. And this is how our entire diplomatic corps worked.

Now I want to thank everyone who worked just like that, just as powerfully. All our diplomats, all our government officials and, of course, those people’s deputies who helped the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office build a pro-Ukrainian coalition in the world. I thank you!

And I am thankful to all the leaders and nations who help us defend our independence, protect international law! Thank you to the honorable ambassadors of the countries – partners of ours, who are now present here, in this distinguished hall!

Fellow Ukrainians!

Look at how global priorities have changed.

Most of the countries of the world are no longer interested in whether Russia will hear them. That’s no longer the case.

Now the world is really interested in what else to expect from Ukraine, what else Ukraine can give to Europe, what we can give to the world.

For many people in the world, it is now pride to have friends among Ukrainians. Remember how Ukrainians once wanted to have friends among foreigners.

And now we are truly one with the world – with the strongest, with the freest in the world.

We restore faith in values to millions of people in different countries. In the values that parents teach their children anywhere in the free world. We show that life should really depend on such values.

We actualize the meanings. Meanings that were, unfortunately, only barren letters of some international agreements, conventions and memoranda for a long time. They will work. And we show it.

We give each of our partners a unique and very important feeling and a historic opportunity – to be a winner together with Ukraine.

Thanks to Ukrainians, the world remembers what it means to be winners.

Next year we will only strengthen it.

This year, we obtained for Ukraine the status of a candidate for joining the European Union. But our achievement is not only in this. This is only part of the achievement. Ukraine has long deserved this status. We know. Even 20 years ago, we could have been there, with this status.

Now our achievement is much greater.

Ukraine cements.

It cements the European Union and the entire free world with the struggle for freedom and peace.

This is our main achievement in foreign policy for the past year.

We made it obvious to everyone that no union in Europe would be strong without Ukraine.

And that is why in all the countries of the European Union, a clear majority of citizens supported Ukraine and the idea of Ukraine joining the EU, and the majority sees us in the Alliance.

It is time to start negotiations on Ukraine’s membership in the European Union.

Fellow Ukrainians!

I want us now to thank all those who opened this opportunity and this path to us.

I want us to thank our warriors. Warriors!

Our warriors, exactly warriors, Ukrainian heroes, are not just servicemen. Not just soldiers and sailors, not just sergeants, not just officers and generals.

The warriors are the hope of millions of people for life. They are Europe’s hope for peace. They are the hope of the world that the time of empires cannot return.

Ukrainian warriors gain peace for us.

And they will gain it!

Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine! To the National Guard, our border guards, our intelligence, Security Service, Special Operations Forces, National Police! Glory to all our Defense and Security Forces! Glory to Ukraine!

Today, the Ukrainian warriors prove that greatness does not depend on the size of the state, the stockpile of missiles, or the ability to force someone into something.

Greatness depends on the strength of morale of those who defend their home, defend the freedom of their people.

The Ukrainian warriors ousted the invaders from around Kyiv, and this was the first turning point in the full-scale war. It showed the strength of our resistance.

The Ukrainian warriors freed Zmiinyi, and since then every occupier knows the only answer he will hear from the Ukrainians to any of his encroachments. This showed that nothing can stop Ukraine.

The number of flagships has somewhat decreased in the Black Sea, and one infamous bridge is increasingly operating for exit rather than entry. If it is operating, of course. And it showed what the future would be like. It will be Ukrainian.

The active actions of our Defense and Security Forces in the Kharkiv region turned many pages of old history. Perhaps, the Russian army did not know that it was capable of fleeing so quickly. Fleeing, leaving everything behind – positions, weapons, their soldiers and collaborators.

The occupiers fled, although they had an advantage in this direction – in the number of weapons, equipment and soldiers. But our warriors had – and have – another great advantage.

A more significant one.

The advantage in determination, the advantage of the strength of your land under your feet.

We reinforce this advantage of Ukrainian warriors with powerful weapons. We have such weapons for the first time.

HIMARS and Krab, Harpoon and NASAMS, Bayraktar and M777 howitzers, CAESAR, Bushmaster, IRIS-T, Crotale – I have named only a few of the dozens of types of the best weapons in the world, which our warriors already have or will have. I am grateful to our partners!

We have already managed to liberate more than one thousand eight hundred cities and villages of Ukraine from the Russian occupier.

And I thank all the states that help us overcome Russian tyranny right on the battlefield!

And let me remind you that a year ago it seemed impossible that our country would have Patriot air defense systems. Now we have such an agreement. I am grateful to our strategic partners!

This is a special sign of trust in Ukraine.

This is a true alliance with the United States of America. We have achieved this.

And I have a debt after my visit to the United States, which I want to pay off right now.

Captain Pavlo Cherniavskyi is now in this hall, commander of the HIMARS battery who was awarded the Cross of Combat Merit and who presented this award to President of the United States of America Biden.

It was an honor to carry out this special mission. But it also has a second part. In response, President Biden handed over a Command Coin – a special symbol from the President of the United States of America.

Mr. Captain! Pavlo!

I have to give this Command Coin to you now.

Once again, I want to thank President Biden, both parties of Congress and every American family for the historical support of Ukraine and our citizens. Thank you!

Fellow Ukrainians!

You see, dear Ukrainians, how the whole world helps us and how we get advanced weapons.

Rest assured, the time will come when the whole world will be equally interested in Ukrainian weapons brands.

We are capable of producing our missiles, our naval drones, we are already doing it, armored vehicles, aircraft and other types of weapons. We are already doing it. There is ours already.

It’s all ours. “Stugna”, “Vilkha”, “Neptune”, marine drone and others.

Let’s thank our domestic production.

Ukraine and the Ukrainian military-industrial complex was and will be one of the most powerful in Europe and the world, I am sure of that.

The intensity of hostilities, the depth of the evil that Russia has brought, the volume and brutality of the crimes of the occupiers on our Ukrainian land encourage not only us, but also the whole world to update defense standards, update security standards, and achieve justice.

And this applies to many areas.

From the production of projectiles and tactics on the battlefield to the creation of a new effective security architecture for Ukraine, for all of Europe and the world, new security guarantees.

From the launch of legal mechanisms to bring to justice all those guilty of aggression and to compensate at the expense of Russia for all the damage caused by this terror, to the reform of existing international organizations that are supposed to guarantee peace, guarantee international law and order, but are unable to do so now.

Ukraine is already among the leaders of the relevant processes.

And, by the way, it is in Ukraine that new NATO standards are defined by our heroic warriors. Standards we share with our allies today. Allies! Not just partners.

But in order to get to that time and those opportunities, we have to come to an agreement between ourselves now.

All of us in this hall, in Ukraine, within our people, our society.

The first point is unity. We have to cherish it despite any personal emotions, any personal interests.

Unity is what allows us now to strengthen society, strengthen our state, win together and change the negative trends of our centuries-old history.

The stronger the unity, the greater and faster our victory will be.

We must be equal in unity. Equal in unity. And this is now a challenge. A very important point.

No one at the front will understand those who, having any political weight or any position of authority, will try to return to the old life. Life before February 24.

And if someone tries to play against the independence of Ukraine – be it political, economic, or spiritual independence – our state will respond instantly and in a tough way.

There is no such gold for crosses or anything else in the world that could cover the moral rust from ties with a terrorist state.

And if someone from the political class of Ukraine thinks that when he skis down the mountain, he motivates the soldiers to climb out of the trenches and go on the offensive, this is a sign of madness, and there will be no such people in politics.

I urge everyone to leave their personal ambitions at home and work to protect our common home.

Work together with the state and in a way that is necessary to protect freedom and our people.

When such a brutal war is ongoing, it is not the time for personal political guerrilla activity somewhere in the rear, in the media, or even more so in the capitals of the countries that help us.

Please take my words as seriously as possible.

Ukraine is on its way to the victory that generations of our people have dreamed of. Now our children dream of it. Our parents and grandparents dreamed of it. All generations from the time of Bohdan to the national liberation struggle of the XX century.

We will get what we did not achieve before. We will.

And this is possible thanks to the fact that for the first time in several centuries we simultaneously have national unity, our own functioning state and the maximum unity of the world in supporting our beautiful Ukraine.

We will not let anyone “roll it back” to the old days. People will not allow it. The world will not allow it.

Our unity must be as strong as our warriors.

The second point is security.

Being one of the global leaders is not a status or an award. This is an ongoing process. The process of finding new opportunities for our state, new friends and alliances, new growth for the economy and for our society.

In the same way, the security of the state is not a state that you achieve once and for all, it is difficult work, it is a process.

Leadership and security always go hand in hand – by acquiring one, you work for the other.

Now, when the enemy has set himself the goal of destroying us, destroying our energy sector, we set ourselves the goal of becoming a leader in the transformation of our energy sector to counter any threats, any challenges – military, political, economic or even climatic.

We have to become – and we will become, as there is no other option – a leader in building modern green energy. This will allow us to create a decentralized energy system that cannot be destroyed by anything, any missile strikes.

Today – everyone can see – it is dangerous when cities depend on several large thermal or power plants. A modern city needs decentralized sources of energy.

Only green energy can really provide this.

Having a leadership position in such energy and developing our atomic generation, as well as hydrogen energy, we will be able to provide for the needs of Ukraine, and in peacetime – the needs of Europe.

And this will be a historic strengthening of Ukraine’s role in Europe. We can, and therefore must, become one of the guarantors of European energy security. And this is a task, a task for tomorrow.

And today we have to get through and we will definitely get through this winter.

Russian missile and, as they say, “shahed” strikes at our energy sector, at the energy supply of Ukrainians, is an obvious challenge not only to our state, by the way.

When terror strikes against the civilization of life, the world can stand up for both civilization and life.

We do everything for this.

I want to thank everyone who advocates for increasing international pressure on Russia for this terror!

And I thank all the countries and companies, international organizations and people who supply us with equipment and provide financial support to provide the people of Ukraine with light, heat and communication! Thank you!

One example – we will increase the number of Starlink terminals in Ukraine, which clearly prove the superiority of civilization over terror and barbarism, to more than thirty thousand in the near future.

We are already becoming – and we will become – a leader in the digital transformation of our state and society.

I think it is not necessary to dwell separately on what we have achieved in the field of digitization and communication.

I will only say that this is an achievement of such importance that allows us to make our country’s experience in digitization one of the tools of foreign policy.

We will complete the total digitization of all permits and public services in Ukraine. This is about anti-corruption and about the stability of the institutions of our state.

And what is important, by spreading such experience of transformation, successful experience in the world, we will provide Ukraine with new friends, new alliances, new political and economic opportunities.

In particular, this will concern the development of relations with African countries and other states of the Global South. This direction of foreign policy received a special priority.

We are already becoming – and we will become – the leader of global efforts for food security.

This year has shown that without a Ukrainian farmer, without Ukrainian agricultural exports, it is impossible to guarantee not only food, but also social security for dozens of countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. Our two initiatives – the Export Grain Initiative and the “Grain from Ukraine” program – have returned the world to vital stability.

More than fifteen million tons of food for export to more than forty countries of the world in just five months in conditions of full-scale war is our first grain initiative.

And I want to thank the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres, I thank President of Türkiye Erdoğan for supporting the restoration of our agricultural exports.

Already more than thirty donor countries and almost two hundred million dollars – this is our second grain initiative, a humanitarian one. The European Union and Qatar, Türkiye and Japan, Norway and Korea, Canada and the United States of America – this is just the beginning of the global humanitarian corridor for countries facing the threat of famine.

Famine caused by Russia.

Even now, when it’s hard for us, we share our Ukrainian bread with those for whom it is even harder. I thank you for this – everyone who did it! This moral leadership of Ukraine and our partners is undeniable.

Ukraine must always look for ways to show leadership, to attract other leaders, and every such success will strengthen our security, strengthen the external situation of our state.

But also the internal one.

Our export initiatives and, in general, the expansion of opportunities for freight transportation through the territory of the European Union, Türkiye – allowed us to save millions of jobs for Ukrainians.

Dear attendees!

I am asking you now to thank all our transporters, all our port workers, all those who work on the railways, in every other industry that ensures the movement of goods for Ukrainians!

Another important security element.

Business is also the protection of Ukraine now. Taxes are also security now.

This year we had no delays – or almost no delays – with the salaries of our beloved teachers and doctors. Pensions were indexed, as provided by the legislation of Ukraine. In the de-occupied territory, payments were made as soon as stabilization measures were completed there. More than one trillion two hundred billion hryvnias are allocated to defense for the year.

Of course, the financial assistance of partners and other involved funds played an important role, that’s true.

But.

But there is a but. We must remember that the financing of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is primarily an internal resource from Ukrainian taxes, customs duties, bonds and other similar sources.

And every unpaid hryvnia of taxes is money taken from our military. This is the fact.

Of course, the existing tax system is convenient neither for those who pay taxes nor for those who collect taxes. It is also not convenient for those of our people who receive salaries and pensions from these taxes.

But it is extremely important for us to reach a national agreement on this issue.

Now I want to thank everyone who keeps their businesses running, who keeps jobs so that people can provide for themselves and their families, who pays taxes. Gratitude to all of you!

I want to emphasize this again and want you all to know: very important international aid goes to important social benefits. And the entire resource for the salaries of the military is paid by the citizens of Ukraine.

The third point is justice.

The creation of the Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression is an integral part of the policy of our state. I am sure that the Tribunal will work.

The International compensation mechanism, which we are currently building, will also work.

At the same time, we must cooperate as much as possible with our international partners, with the International Criminal Court.

That is, all elements of international and national justice will be used to bring to justice the Russian murderers and torturers, all those who planned, started and are carrying out aggression against the people of Ukraine.

No crime committed by the occupiers in Ukraine can go unpunished.

And no matter how much resources and time it takes, accountability for the occupiers must be unavoidable.

And it will be so!

For everything that was done against Ukraine, that was done against Ukrainians from 2014 and from February 24.

Can the state alone ensure this? No.

And I want to thank our partners, in particular, the Netherlands, for their principled leadership in this work; all our investigators, experts, prosecutors, all our judges who are already working on this, and all journalists and public activists who joined justice. Thank you!

I am also thankful to those who help us find and block the assets of the terrorist state and its associated persons in foreign jurisdictions, who promote important legislative initiatives in other states to confiscate these assets of the Russian Federation, and also advocate this in the media!

We will do everything to bring home all our people who are currently in Russian captivity.

The goal of restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine always goes hand in hand for us with another goal of freeing all our people who are held in Russian captivity or in prisons, as well as all those who were forcibly deported from our land.

After February 24, our team managed to free 1,456 people from Russian captivity.

This is significant. I am happy to see everyone who returns to Ukraine.

But there is much more work ahead.

However, I have no doubt that we will fulfill it together, in a united manner.

Reconstruction of Ukraine after hostilities is another component of justice.

It is already clear that this will be the biggest economic project of our time in Europe. The scope of what needs to be done is obvious to everyone and requires a separate enumeration now.

I will mention very briefly only the key principles.

The entire territory of our state needs reconstruction of those infrastructure, energy, social sphere and other objects that do not meet modern security requirements.

We have to raise from the ruins the territory entered by the Russian invaders after February 24.

In the same way, we will restore the normality of life in the territory of Donbas and Crimea, which were illegally occupied in 2014 and have been brought to the point of disaster by the occupiers over the time that has passed.

Now it is still difficult to estimate the required amount of resources.

But it can be said for sure that we should prioritize the restoration of those companies that were in Ukraine or that came to Ukraine during the war. Which left the Russian market during the war.

And this is fair.

Who supported us in the most difficult moments, who were with us when Ukraine was fighting for life, who worked, who paid taxes, who volunteered, who helped our indomitability… We need to find a format to give such business more opportunities in such important projects, the projects of a new, rebuilt Ukraine.

Ukrainian business, American, French, Polish – any that we see – here and now.

And I ask you, dear people’s deputies, together with us, together with the Office, together with the Government to develop such a legislative framework. And this will also, I think, encourage international business to enter Ukraine now – preparing for the future, for the victory.

And one more thing.

Just as we must restore territorial integrity, we must also restore social integrity.

Millions of our people who have become displaced persons, who have found shelter abroad, should not become refugees.

I thank all the countries, I thank all the nations of Europe and the world who help our people!

But we must preserve them as a part of Ukrainian society. We have to ensure their return. And this includes various components of work.

Security guarantees, economic growth.

Reconstruction and further integration of our state with the European Union and other leading subjects of the free world.

Protection of human rights, equalization of social and personal freedoms in Ukraine and in advanced countries of stay of our migrants.

Creating a modern veteran policy. It’s very important!

Creation of a modern rehabilitation system in Ukraine for those who were put in the most difficult position by the war. So that our society has this feeling that no one is needless among us – this is the task… That we care about all Ukrainians, that we can help each and every one of them.

A country that supports every its citizen is a country that you want to return to.

We have to make sure that when the world sees the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag of ours, they will know that it is about freedom and about people who have a strong home and who will always be helped – no matter what happens to them.

Because we are all Ukrainians. And that’s enough.

I thank you for your attention!

Glory to all who fight and work for our country! Glory to all who help us protect our independence, our freedom! Glory to all of you, our people!

Glory to Ukraine!

I wish all of us victory and only victory in the coming year. Nothing else is needed! Happy upcoming holidays. Thank you all for this difficult year! We thank our warriors, our people of beautiful Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The address made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 24 December 2022.

Dear people!

These days, millions of people in Ukraine and the world celebrate Christmas. The appearance of the Son of God gave people hope for salvation, faith in the victory of goodness and mercy.

Unfortunately, all the holidays have a bitter aftertaste for us this year. And we can feel the traditional Spirit of Christmas differently. Dinner at the family table cannot be so tasty and warm. There may be empty chairs around it. And our houses and streets can’t be so bright. And Christmas bells can ring not so loudly and inspiringly. Through air raid sirens, or even worse – gunshots and explosions. And all this together can pose a bigger threat. It is a disappointment. Of the higher forces and their power, of goodness and justice in the world. Loss of hope. Loss of love. Loss of myself…

But isn’t this what evil and darkness, which have taken up arms against us, want in their essence?

We have been resisting them for more than three hundred days and eight years. And will we allow them to achieve what they want?

In this battle, we have another powerful and effective weapon. The hammer and sword of our spirit and consciousness. The wisdom of God. Courage and bravery. Virtues that incline us to do good and overcome evil.

The main act of courage is endurance and completion of one’s work to the end, despite everything. The truth illuminates our path. We know it. We defend it. Our truth is a struggle for freedom. Freedom comes at a high price. But slavery has an even higher price.

Our path is illuminated by faith and patience. Patience and faith. These are twin forces. As it was said, “he who rules and controls his own spirit, is better than he who captures a city.” To endure does not mean to accept the circumstances. Patience is watching to make sure that we don’t let any doubt or fear into our minds. It is faith in one’s own strength.

Evil has no weapon stronger than the armor given to us by God. Evil smashes against this armor like a stone wall. We have seen this more than once. We endured at the beginning of the war. We endured attacks, threats, nuclear blackmail, terror, missile strikes. Let’s endure this winter because we know what we are fighting for.

We go forward through the thorns to the stars, knowing what awaits us at the end of the road. God is a just Judge who rewards good and punishes evil. Which side we are on is obvious. Who is who in this battle is obvious. There are at least seven proofs of this – they are known – “A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, Feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.” We oppose all this. Being a role model for others. The faithful, that is, those who really believe, must be a light to the rest of the world. For more than three hundred days, Ukrainians have been striving for this, proving it, serving as an example to others. We are not righteous, not holy, but we are definitely fighting for good and fighting for the light, with faith in Bible prophecy:

“Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. The people who walk in darkness will see a bright light. The light will shine on those who live in the land of death’s shadow. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given!”

We believe that tears will be replaced by joy, hope will come after despair, and death will be defeated by life.

Dear Ukrainian people!

Today and all future winter holidays we meet in difficult circumstances. Someone will see the first star in the sky over Bakhmut, Rubizhne, and Kreminna today. Along thousands of kilometers of the front line. Someone is on the road, on the way – from the Ukrainian-Polish border to Kherson region or Zaporizhzhia. Someone will see it through the bullet holes of his or her own home. Someone will celebrate the holiday in other people’s homes, but strange people’s homes – homes of Ukrainians who gave shelter to Ukrainians. In Zakarpattia, Bukovyna, Lviv region, Ivano-Frankivsk region and many other regions. Someone will hear Shchedryk in another language – in Warsaw, Berlin, London, New York, Toronto and many other cities and countries. And someone will meet this Christmas in captivity, but let them remember that we are also coming for our people, we will return freedom to all Ukrainian men and women.

Wherever we are, we will be together today. And together we will look at the evening sky. And together we will remember the morning of February 24. Let’s remember how much we have passed. Let’s remember Azovstal, Irpin, Bucha, Kramatorsk, Snake Island, Chornobayivka, Izium, Kherson. We make a wish. One for all. And we will feel joy. One for all. And we will understand the truth. One for all. About the fact that no kamikaze drones are capable of extinguishing the Christmas Dawn. We will see its glow even underground in a bomb shelter. We will fill our hearts with warmth and light. No Kinzhal missile can hurt them. They will break against our steel spirit. And our struggle will continue without stopping. It is not threatened by planned or emergency blackouts. And we will never feel a shortage of courage and indomitability.

We have experienced a lot of bitter news and will deservedly receive good news. We will sing Christmas carols – cheerier than ever – louder than the sound of a generator. We will hear the voices and greetings of relatives – in our hearts – even if communication service and the Internet are down. And even in total darkness – we will find each other – to hug each other tightly. And if there is no heat, we will give a big hug to warm each other.

We will celebrate our holidays! As always. We will smile and be happy. As always. The difference is one. We will not wait for a miracle. After all, we create it ourselves.

Christ is born! Let’s praise Him!

v
Videos

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

We are already used to it. This means that everything is fine. If there are sirens, it means that Russia does not forget about us and is afraid of us. We will defeat everyone.

Dmytro Ivanovych! Dear Mr. Minister!

Dear attendees!

Dear heads of diplomatic missions of our country!

24 hours a day and 365 days a year, we all have to be with Ukraine. We have no right to a weekend, no right to rest, no right to vacation, no right to an eight-hour work day.

All the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine are currently on hold for us personally as representatives of our state. Because if we rest or take it lightly, if we are careless, we will have neither the Constitution of Ukraine nor our state.

We must sleep less than the enemy, think more than the enemy, take risks more effectively than the enemy, and communicate with the world better, constantly, on a different level than anyone else in this world.

Such an attitude should define your work. We must do everything possible and impossible, formally and informally, personally and directing the forces of the powerful, professional teams we have formed in order to strengthen the defense of our state, guarantee the safety of our people and accelerate the victory of Ukraine.

Actually, these are the criteria by which I evaluate and will evaluate the effectiveness of each and every one of you, your work.

We do not have time to, for example, watch the two-hour press conferences of the President of the Russian Federation. We simply do not have time for such trifles. We already know how this war will end, and therefore every hour of yours is very important, it should add up the strength of Ukraine and accelerate our victory.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Ukraine needs concrete results from each and every one of you. The results that will allow everyone who fights and works for our people, for the sake of Ukraine, to say that you stand by them, even though you are in other countries of the world.

And for that to happen, you must understand how bravely and selflessly our people fight, how much they do so that the state can survive, and how much they sacrifice to preserve our free and independent life.

No matter where you live and work abroad, you must still live in Ukraine and for Ukraine. No matter where you are on a working trip, you should still be with Ukraine and feel Ukrainians.

The country is at war. You must be at war. Every day you should feel that the life of our state depends on your work, the lives of people and the situation on our land depend on it.

Yesterday, as you know, we returned to Ukraine from the United States of America. And this was my first visit abroad after February 24 – to the key ally of our state, the United States.

It was a fruitful visit. We have a decision on strengthening our air defense. The Congress is working on a powerful financial package for Ukraine and global security – 45 billion US dollars. We have significant strategic agreements with the United States for the coming months, which will definitely strengthen the capabilities of the most important thing – our defense forces in key directions.

I urge you to consider this visit as a very important reference point, as a set bar. I don’t have the opportunity of foreign visits – I just don’t, there’s no time. As it was done before, in different conditions. I have opportunities to do this kind of work in other formats – and you know it, you’ve seen it. I think it was quite effective this year.

But if any visit potentially has as significant, important, strategic content as my visit to the United States, if our Armed Forces, all our defense forces absolutely directly depend on the results of the visit, if one or another partner of ours is ready to take the lead in the implementation of the points of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, if there can be decisive steps to accelerate our victory, there can be my negotiations on a personal level as an exception to the general practice of wartime.

You have to know what result you will potentially give in your direction. Fight for Ukraine, for strategic results for Ukraine!

The second aspect: we must constantly create new opportunities for our state.

This year we achieved historic results. It’s true.

We have achieved and are increasing vital military, financial, sanction, humanitarian and other necessary support for Ukraine. Despite Russia’s all-out war against us, against each and every one, we preserved the resilience of our state.

A powerful global coalition has been created around Ukraine and the protection of international security, which unites not only traditional partners, but also – what is very important – states with which relations are just being built.

Ukraine united the European Union in an unprecedented way and gained the status of a candidate for joining the EU. This is a great achievement. We applied for NATO membership.

Historically significant results have been achieved in our cooperation with the UN and at the UN site. This applies both to Ukrainian export initiatives and to the decisions adopted for the sake of Ukraine, in particular the resolutions of the UN General Assembly.

143 countries of the world – more than ever before – supported our territorial integrity and condemned Russian aggression.

Our grain export initiative enables the world to overcome the severity of the food crisis. More than 14 million tons of agricultural products were exported – you know – to more than forty countries of the world. We also launched the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian initiative.

Both initiatives put our state in the same line with those who really guarantee global security for the whole world. And next year, we will increase this, I believe, very important activity of ours.

Special attention is paid to those regions and continents where our interests are so far represented less than we need for the good of Ukraine and our protection against Russian aggression. In particular, this is Africa.

We are already restarting relations with dozens of African countries. We have to step it up next year.

Ten countries have already been determined where new embassies of Ukraine in Africa will be opened. We also developed the concept of the “Ukraine – Africa” trading house with the opening of its offices in the capitals of the most promising countries of the African continent. In addition to the existing representation of Ukraine in ten African countries – along with new embassies and trading houses – we must achieve representation in thirty countries of the African continent.

Global growth and international stability in this century cannot be imagined without relations with Africa and other parts of the Global South: Latin America, India, other Asian countries, including China and Southeast Asia, the entire region of the islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Ukraine must find the format of its leadership in strategic processes in each of these regions, and the role of the diplomatic corps of Ukraine will be decisive.

We need passports for Ukraine’s relations with each country, as it is currently done by us with African countries. I think the ministers, my colleagues, diplomatic institutions will explain this to you in more detail. We need clarity and defined intersection of our interests with partners and potential partners.

It is necessary to bring the capacity of Ukraine to a new level in the foreign policy of emergency situations. We need such a tool that will enable our state to respond to crisis situations in the world. Our presence should be felt by absolutely everyone, everyone should be interested in our help. To this end, we are preparing the creation of the Ukrainian International Aid Agency, which will expand the geography of our influence and form additional lines of cooperation with partners.

As we ensure the sustainability of our country together with our partners, we can also help other countries maintain and develop sustainability.

As an example, we can consider our cooperation with partners in the field of food security, in the field of digitization and – which is very important, where we have really important developments – in cyber defense. We have experience that can strengthen our partners and give Ukraine new friends in the world.

Of course, all this requires updating the regulations and ensuring the work of our diplomats.

To this end, I commission the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare an ambitious draft of amendments to the Law of Ukraine on the Diplomatic Service.

The system of work of embassies must be updated. In order for embassies to be able to work truly as a team, the approach to the formation of the embassy team must be changed. The ambassador is responsible for the result, and therefore the ambassador needs to influence the formation of the embassy team. It will be done.

Of course, injustice in financing the work of our representative offices, in particular in Africa, will also be corrected.

The third aspect: the world should know about the needs of Ukraine and the needs of our people. Not only politicians, but also business, the very important media environment, and the civil sector.

This is critically necessary for the reconstruction of Ukraine, for the restoration and development of the social and investment opportunities of our state, as well as for the pressure on Russia for this shameful war, for terror, to constantly increase.

Our embassies and our state should be heard and seen in the countries of your direct work.

In particular, one of your tasks, in addition to the general task of popularizing Ukraine, should be the organization of visits of those who can actually become and are newsmakers in the country of your stay.

Take a look at examples of what has been done this year. Just a few examples, there were many of them, but still… For example, the Crimea Platform summit of the parliamentary dimension in Croatia – it was done jointly by the teams of Ruslan Stefanchuk, the government, the Office, all our diplomats. The conference on strengthening our energy sector and infrastructure in general, which took place in France and where Ukraine was represented by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Yulia Svyrydenko and Rostyslav Shurma. Agreements were reached in the amount of about 2 billion euros. The visit of the First Lady of Ukraine to Washington, her speech in Congress, meetings after which the possibility of a powerful strengthening of air defense opened up for Ukraine. A very important visit. Agreements regarding grain, which were dealt with by the team of Oleksandr Kubrakov and the team of the Office. The release of our prisoners of war, in particular the defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal, which was ensured by the team led by Andriy Yermak, Kyrylo Budanov and Rustem Umyerov, which is extremely important. The activity, which was aimed at obtaining candidate status, historical candidate status, and the corresponding visits and negotiations of Dmytro Kuleba, Olha Stefanishyna, Andriy Sybiha, Ihor Zhovkva, Emine Dzhaparova, Oleksiy Chernyshov – this entire team.

We need this level of events for Ukraine next year. We need to create events that could talk about Ukraine and our interests. Political events of strategic importance. You should focus on this and ensure at least one such event per month for the sake of Ukraine.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Today, several special, very important areas of work in the coming year will be presented to you.

In particular, the Head of my Office will present what can be done to implement the Ukrainian Peace Formula. I want to emphasize: this is a practical thing. Not some kind of abstraction, not some trick, not a rhetorical tool. This is a specific task, points that must be implemented in order to restore the territorial integrity of our state and guarantee the security of Ukraine and Ukrainians.

There are more specific tasks for us for the next year. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to outline some of them, those we need to implement to make the next year a truly victorious year for all of us. So.

Start of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU.

Preparation for the planned NATO summit and ensuring concrete results of this summit for Ukraine, which we all know about.

Each of you will be presented with our updated defense and security needs for our army. You must constantly work to satisfy them.

Ukrainian energy sector and, in general, the needs of our country for recovery after the Russian strikes, Fast Recovery Plan – please work as closely as possible with the government, the Office, international organizations and partner states, so that all these existing agreements are provided with a concrete content and result.

Sanctions against Russia. We have to ensure new strong sanction packages next year. The terrorist state must feel real pressure, and your actions – the actions of our diplomatic corps – must be aimed at this.

The Tribunal for the crime of aggression and the accountability of war criminals – work to ensure that the countries of your stay support us.

Help find and block Russia’s assets linked not only to government officials, but also to Russian businesses that support the war. All these funds will be directed to the restoration of Ukraine. Do everything you can to ensure that the countries in which you work help build an effective compensation mechanism.

And be sure to support our people not just as much as you can, but much more. They are facing extremely hard times. Work for our people to return to the state and for all their rights and legitimate interests in the host countries are satisfied. Ukrainian identity, Ukrainian cultural, educational, information and social needs must be satisfied.

In everything, take as an example our work on “Patriots”, “NASAMS”, “IRIS-T”, “Crotale”. We were told that it was impossible. That all this was impossible. Now it’s all there. Diplomacy is just such a tool. Everything that faces a “no” at the beginning must become a concrete result for all of us.

The implementation of all the tasks I mentioned today is not only a specific work plan for the next year.

We must understand: this is our victory, these are the elements of this victory. When we implement a specific task, we accelerate victory for Ukraine, accelerate victory for our people.

The most important task for all of us is victory in this war. We must, and we will get it!

Glory to all our warriors! Gratitude to everyone who works for our victory!

Thank you for all your work for our state in a particularly difficult time after February 24!

I sincerely congratulate you on your day, your professional day – the Day of Diplomatic Service Employees – and I wish you all to achieve even more results in the coming year than this year.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a Happy New Year. May this year be victorious!

Glory to Ukraine!

The address made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 19 December 2022.

Thank you very much, Rishi, Mr. Prime Minister Sunak!

Mr. Prime Minister Kariņš, everyone present!

I am grateful, first of all, for these words of support. They are very important, and they are about the priorities you’ve mentioned.

Dear friends, dear leaders!

First of all, I want to thank you all for supporting Ukraine and our struggle for freedom. When I participated in this format of ours last time, and it was on the twentieth day of a full-scale invasion, I called on you: help Ukraine and through it – help yourself. This is exactly how we have been acting all these months. And I thank you all for that, for your great support!

That is why we see the most important thing – that Russian aggression can and must fail. And our task now is to speed it up. Now – at this summit – I urge you to do everything to speed up the defeat of the occupiers.

I will be very specific today – absolutely practical. Perhaps you expect a more political speech. But it is a different time now.

It is time for specific things.

Ukraine was again attacked by Iranian drones this night. 34 “Shaheds”. I say both the number and the name, and quite specifically.

These are “Shaheds” from the new batch that Russia received from Iran. 250 items – that’s how many “Shaheds” have now been received by the terrorist state.

Russian missiles and Iranian drones are constantly used to strike primarily at our energy sector – and you know all the details about it.

Only one recent massive attack on Ukraine affected more than 20 million of our people. As a result, cities with millions of inhabitants and most Ukrainian regions were left completely without electricity. In general, on the evening of December 16, 22 million 408 thousand Ukrainians were disconnected from the energy supply. More than 10 million people had their water and heat supplies cut off. Imagine the scale of this terror.

And imagine that it can be stopped.

Dear leaders!

Right now to a large extent it depends on you when and how this war will end. And everything is very specific. The more successful our Defense Forces are, the sooner Russian aggression will fail.

Winter is now a really crucial time.

It is a time when decisions can be made, the results of which in the spring will allow us to outline the restoration of our territorial integrity and guarantee that Russian revanchism will never again cross the border of Ukraine, and therefore – the border of Europe. And I want to address everyone.

Mr. Prime Minister of Britain! Rishi!

When we can fully protect the Ukrainian sky, it will mean the dismantling of the last great Russian opportunity to terrorize Ukraine.

And therefore, it will also be the dismantling of the last great Russian hope that they will allegedly succeed in conquering our state and people.

And I am asking you to increase the possibility of supplying air defense systems to our state and help speed up the relevant decisions of partners.

One hundred percent air shield for Ukraine will be one of the most successful steps against Russian aggression. And this step is needed right now.

Mr. Prime Minister of Norway! Mr. Støre!

I am asking you to continue your policy of defense support for Ukraine in the next year as well – at least at the same level as this year.

And we already see tangible results.

NASAMS which have already been given to us, significantly strengthened our defense. I thank you for this!

I am asking you to increase the supply of such systems and missiles for them.

Mrs. Minister of Defense of the Netherlands! Mrs. Ollongren!

For our defense operations to be more successful, we need modern armored vehicles.

First of all, tanks.

There is no explanation why Ukraine has not yet obtained a decision on the provision of modern and effective tanks – in particular, “Leopards”. This is vital! I am asking you and your partners to reach this decision, to help us.

The first to open this defense opportunity for Ukraine – with the supply of tanks – will open it for all other partners of ours. The first step is needed to get others to take their steps as well.

I am asking to continue our cooperation regarding Soviet-type tanks – the necessary shells, as well as Harpoon complexes and other artillery systems.

Mr. Prime Minister of Sweden! Mr. Kristersson!

We have already discussed with you the possibilities of strengthening our artillery.

This is what determines the developments on the battlefield, namely the artillery.

You know how large a stockpile of artillery systems and shells there is in Russia.

And this artillery arrogance of the terrorist state must be shut down. We need to increase our capabilities on the battlefield so that the Russian leadership quicklier understands that this aggression has no chance.

You have good Archer systems – I urge you to make a decision on them.

And also you can strengthen the capabilities in the defense of the sky, and if you can – these are RBS-98 anti-aircraft missile systems and these are Gripen aircraft. We have to achieve such a historically important result for us.

Mr. President of Lithuania! Gіtanas, my friend!

I thank you for the fact that Lithuania became one of the first countries to help us.

Even before the start of the full-scale invasion, when we have already been preparing for defense, you helped us.

I thank you for that!

And I am asking you to continue our cooperation next year.

We need both NASAMS, as you know, and “Stingers”, which we can get if your decision is made.

Dear Mr. Prime Minister of Latvia! Mr. Kariņš!

I thank you for your constant and principled support throughout the Russian war. And let’s reduce the time of this aggression even more actively!

You can help us with artillery systems – please make such decisions.

Dear Mrs. Prime Minister of Estonia! Mrs. Kallas!

You also have this opportunity – 155-mm artillery shells, spare parts for howitzers. Let’s intensify our cooperation.

Dear Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense of Denmark! Mr. Ellemann-Jensen!

You are aware of our need for CAESAR systems, which have proven themselves well on the battlefield, and these are the systems you expect from France. But they are vitally necessary for us right now, precisely in Ukraine. We need your decision on CAESAR.

And I am asking you to continue our cooperation next year, which has already been achieved in the field of defense, in particular in anti-ship defense.

Dear Mr. President of Finland! Mr. Niinistö!

I thank you for the armored vehicles provided to us – the APCs that you provided help us a lot.

You have 122-mm and 152-mm caliber – they are vitally necessary. Means of radio-electronic warfare, countering drones. MLRS complexes.

Please maintain the level of interaction that has already been achieved between us.

The sooner we restore our border, the stronger your security will be. I am sure of it.

Dear Mrs. Prime Minister! Mrs. Jakobsdóttir!

I thank you for your demining initiatives and humanitarian leadership.

I am asking you to expand our cooperation next year, to create even more opportunities to protect our people from Russian mine terror.

Dear friends!

Today – on St. Nicholas Day according to the Eastern Rite – Russian terrorists “gifted” new strikes to Ukrainian children.

I am asking you to support our country right now with a clear decision – to provide everything that can not only preserve the existing dynamics on the battlefield in Ukraine, but also accelerate the movement of our Defense Forces to victory. Because our victory will be the victory of each of you, it is the victory of Europe, your nations, the victory, which the whole world expects, I am sure of that.

That’s that – Ukrainian children in their letters to St. Nicholas ask for air defense, weapons and victory – victory for themselves, victory for all Ukrainians. Our children understand everything.

Let’s act!

I thank you for your attention!

I thank you all for your support!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 31 December 2022.

Dear Ukrainians!

This year began on February 24. Without prefaces and preludes. Sharply. Early. At 4 o’clock.

It was dark. It was loud. It was hard for many and scary for some. 311 days have passed. It can still be dark, loud, and complicated for us. But we will definitely never be afraid again. And we’ll never be ashamed.

It was our year. Year of Ukraine. Year of Ukrainians.

We woke up on February 24. Into another life. Being another people. Another Ukrainians. The first missiles finally destroyed the labyrinth of illusions. We saw who was who. What friends and enemy are capable of, and most importantly, what we are capable of.

On February 24, millions of us made a choice. Not a white flag, but a blue and yellow flag. Not escaping, but meeting. Meeting the enemy. Resisting and fighting.

The explosions on February 24 stunned us. Since then we have not heard everything. And we don’t listen to everyone. We were told: you have no other option but to surrender. We say: we have no other option than to win.

On February 24, we began to create our victory. From many bricks – hundreds of other victories.

We have overcome the panic. We did not run away but united. We have overcome doubts, despair, and fear. We believed in ourselves and in our strength. The Armed Forces of Ukraine. Intelligence. National Guard. SBU. Special Operations Forces. Border guards. Territorial defense forces. Air defense forces. The police. The State Emergency Service. All our defense and security forces. I am proud of you all, our warriors!

This year can be called a year of losses for Ukraine, for the whole of Europe, and the whole world. But it’s wrong. We shouldn’t say that.

We haven’t lost anything. It was taken from us. Ukraine did not lose its sons and daughters – they were taken away by murderers. Ukrainians did not lose their homes – they were destroyed by terrorists. We did not lose our lands – they were occupied by invaders. The world did not lose peace – Russia destroyed it.

This year has struck our hearts. We’ve cried out all the tears. All the prayers have been yelled. 311 days. We have something to say about every minute. But most of the words are superfluous. They are not needed. No explanations or decorations are needed. Silence is needed to hear. Pauses are needed to realize.

The morning of February 24.

Hostomel. Bucha. Irpin. Borodianka. Kharkiv.
Mriya.

Kramatorsk Station. Toy.

Chernihiv.

Mariupol. Drama Theater. The word “Children” written.

Olenivka.

Odesa. Multi-story building. Girl. Three months old.

Vilniansk. Maternity hospital. Baby. Two days old.

Azovstal.

It’s impossible to forget. And it’s impossible to forgive. But it’s possible to win.

We stood on our feet because there was something that kept us going. Our spirit.

Defense of Kyiv.

Kharkiv.

Mykolaiv.

Chornobayivka.

Snake Island.

HIMARS.

Antonivsky Bridge.

“Cotton” pops.

Crimean Bridge.

Neptune.

Cruiser Moskva.

Russian warship.

Izyum, Balakliya and Kupyansk.

Kherson.

And we pray that there will be Kreminna and Svatove, Melitopol, all of Donbas, Crimea.

We fight and will continue to fight. For the sake of the main word: “victory.”

It will be for sure. We are approaching it for 311 days.

We gave it a lot of strength. But at the moment, when it seems that you can’t go any further, remember that we have already passed with you.

I want to say to all of you: Ukrainians, you are incredible! See what we have done and what we are doing!

How our soldiers have been smashing this “second army of the world” since the first days.

How our people stopped their equipment and infantry columns.

How an old man used his hands to stop a tank.

How a woman knocked down a drone with a jar of tomatoes.

How enemy tanks, armored personnel carriers, helicopters, shells were stolen during the occupation.

How we fundraised for Shahed hunters, naval drones, armored vehicles, ambulance vehicles and Bayraktar drones in several hours.

How we withstood all threats, shelling, cluster bombs, cruise missiles, darkness and cold.

How we supported each other and the state.

Everyone is important in war.

Who holds a weapon, the steering wheel of a car, the helm of a ship or plane, a scalpel, or a pointer.

Everyone who is behind a laptop, who drives a combine harvester, a train.

Who is at a roadblock and a power plant.

Journalists and diplomats, utility workers and rescuers.

All. Who is working. Studying at a university or school. And even those who are just learning to walk.

All this is for their sake. Our children. Our people. Our country.

There are no small matters in a great war. There are no unnecessary ones. Each of us is a fighter. Each of us is a front. Each of us is the basis of the defense.

We fight as one team – the whole country, all our regions. I admire you all. I want to thank every invincible region of Ukraine.

Kharkiv. Mutilated but unconquered. You proved to the enemy that being close territorially does not mean being close in mind. Kharkiv is a Ukrainian city. The hero city.

Invincible Mykolaiv. Heroically withstands all blows. The city on a wave that overcomes all storms.

Sumy city and the region. You were one of the first to feel the full-scale invasion of the invaders. Sumy region became a bone in their throat for them. Ordinary people made Molotov cocktails, burned enemy columns, took the first prisoners. Sumy region is a force.

Dnipro. The support and reliable rear of our front. You received people, you got the lives of wounded soldiers back. Despite constant barrages, Dnipro lives on.

Odesa. Sunny and friendly, now a fortress. World fortress. Which defends us and which defends the world. Feeds it by sending millions of tonnes of salvation by sea every day. Because it is Odesa Mama.

Kherson! You are heroic people! You have been under occupation for more than eight months. No news. No communication. Separated from Ukraine.

Thousands of you took part in actions against the ruscists. You did not know whether we saw it in Ukraine or knew about it. The occupiers lied to you that Ukraine abandoned you and would not fight for you. But you believed and waited despite everything. The face of Kherson is cut by fragments of shells, but the main thing is that we welcome the New Year free and together under blue and yellow flags. And therefore, we will restore everything, rebuild everything. Just like Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhia, and Kramatorsk, and Bakhmut.

Those that became a refuge for millions of Ukrainians: Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Vinnytsia. I thank you! Those who receive and transfer millions of tonnes of aid from Europe and the world: Lviv, Uzhgorod, Chernivtsi, Lutsk. Thank you! Those who accept the evacuation of businesses, enterprises, universities: Khmelnytsky, Zhytomyr, Kropyvnytsky, Poltava, Cherkasy. Thank you!

And those who are waiting for Ukraine. And will wait. Donbas, Luhansk region, Crimea. Thanks to you, our warriors!

And, of course, Kyiv region and the city are our heart, which always beats thanks to you, all our Ukrainians!

We are all one family. One Ukraine.

This is the year when Ukraine changed the world. And the world discovered Ukraine. We were told to surrender. We chose a counterattack! We were told to make concessions and compromises. We are joining the European Union and NATO.

The world heard Ukraine. European Parliament, Bundestag, the UK Parliament, Knesset, the US Congress.

The world felt Ukraine. Ukraine in the media. In the hearts of people. At the top of Google search.

The world saw Ukraine. On the main squares in Toronto, New York, London, Warsaw, Florence, Sydney, and other cities.

Ukrainians surprise. Ukrainians are applauded. Ukrainians inspire.

Is there anything that can scare us? No. Is there anyone who can stop us? No.

Because we are all together.

It is what we are fighting for. One for each other.

The best salute for us is at the warehouses of the occupiers. The best gift is the numbers in the report of the General Staff.

We do not know for sure what the new year 2023 will bring us. But ready for anything.

New achievements? We will be happy. New hits? We will be steadfast. Continuation of the fight? We will fight. And when we win, we will hug.

Dear Ukrainians!

A few minutes remain until the New Year. I want to wish all of us one thing – victory. And that’s the main thing. One wish for all Ukrainians.

Let this year be the year of return. The return of our people. Soldiers – to their families. Prisoners – to their homes. Immigrants – to their Ukraine.

Return of our lands. And the temporarily occupied will become forever free.

Return to normal life. To happy moments without curfew. To earthly joys without air alerts.

The return of what has been stolen from us. The childhood of our children, the peaceful old age of our parents.

So that grandchildren come to visit their grandparents during the holidays. To eat watermelons in Kherson. And the cherry in Melitopol.

So that our cities are free. Our friends are faithful.

And so that our main figure and main success appeared in reports near the figure of 100,000 destroyed enemies, thousands of units of destroyed Russian equipment – it is 603,628 square kilometers. The area of independent Ukraine, as it was since 1991. As it will always be.

May the New Year bring all this. We are ready to fight for it. That’s why each of us is here. I’m here. We are here. You are here. Everyone is here. We are all Ukraine.

Glory to Ukraine!

Happy New Year!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 31 December 2022.

December 31st… Today, this Russian missile attack is not the end of the year, no matter how much the terrorists want it. It’s the outcome of Russia’s fate.

The terrorist state will not be forgiven. And those who give orders for such strikes, and those who carry them out, will not receive a pardon. To put it mildly.

Several missile attack waves on New Year’s Day. Missiles against people. It’s against the people.

NONhumans did it, NONhumans will lose. And you and I know it. Terrorists cannot change it.

At Easter, they made such attacks, at Christmas, at New Year… They call themselves Christians, they are very proud of their Orthodoxy. But they are following the devil. They support him and are together with him.

And I’ll tell you about it in Russian.

All this war that you are waging, you are Russia, it is not the war with NATO, as your propagandists lie. It is not for something historical. It’s for one person to remain in power until the end of his life. And what will be with all of you, citizens of Russia, does not concern him.

Your leader wants to show that he has the troops behind him and that he is ahead. But he is just hiding. He hides behind the troops, behind missiles, behind the walls of his residences and palaces.

He hides behind you and burns your country and your future. No one will ever forgive you for terror. No one in the world will forgive you for this. Ukraine will never forgive.

And you yourself will not forgive him everything that he will destroy and everyone whom he will kill.

Citizen of Ukraine!

All our services work where there were missile hits. We provide assistance to those affected. Kyiv, Khmelnytsky, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv this time…

Unfortunately, there are casualties… My condolences to the families.

Most of the missiles have been intercepted by our air defense forces. And these are lives saved. If it were not for air defense, the number of casualties would have been different. Much bigger. And this is yet another proof for the world that support for Ukraine must be increased.

I thank all the partners who helped with the air defense. IRIS-T, Crotale, NASAMS, Hawk. MANPADS Perun, Mistral, etc. Next year it will be Patriot. This year, a lot of S-300s were made, which we also received.

Each of these systems is a counter to terror, it’s what proves the strength of normal people and the ineffectiveness of terrorists. A weapon against terror is a means for peace.

And every day – today is no exception – we release our people. A total of 140 people were returned from Russian captivity today. 22 officers, 118 privates and sergeants. In total, since February 24, we have returned home 1,596 Ukrainian men and women.

Thanks to our team! Thanks to everyone who protects Ukraine! To everyone who is now on the front line! Thanks to everyone who fights for our country!

Thanks to Air Defense Forces! And please, citizens, don’t ignore the sirens. Thanks to our energy workers – everyone who removes the consequences of terrorist attacks.

It will be the New Year now.

We’ll be in touch with you the whole time!

We are all working.

Glory to Ukraine!