Tag: Speeches

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 14 October 2022.

Dear Ukrainians!

Great people of a great country!

On October 14, we celebrate the Day of Defenders of Ukraine. This is the Day of those who fight. This is the Day of what we fight for. This is the Day of what kind of victory we will gain.

A century ago, Ukraine honored this Day. And it will honor it a century after us.

On October 14, we express gratitude. Gratitude to everyone who fought for Ukraine in the past. And to everyone who is fighting for it now. To all who won then. And to everyone who will definitely win now. Win in such a way that it will crown the struggle of many generations of our people with success. The people who always wanted one thing the most – freedom. For themselves. And for their children. For our culture.

The place where I am now points to the origins of our Ukrainian path. These are the slopes of Vytachiv. Here was one of the most ancient outposts of Rus’-Ukraine. Back in the times of Olga, Svyatoslav and Volodymyr the Great. Svyatopolk, Monomakh, Andriy and Oleg were gathering here for the princely congress. Andriy Pervozvanny placed the first cross here. Cossack seagulls used to cross these waters. These shores have seen various invaders and heroes. Here, on the slopes, Taras Shevchenko looked at the Dnipro and the cliffs. This place is a witness of more than a millennium of our history and its important lesson.

They tried to capture and enslave the Ukrainian land. They tried to conquer and destroy the Ukrainian people. Both a thousand years ago and in the XX century. But Ukrainians come here. Here they reflect on our history. The Ukrainian language is spoken here. There is a chapel here, built according to Shevchenko’s sketch.

There were different periods. Various threats. But Ukraine endured. There is one reason for that. Our defenders. Our people who are fighting for their right to life. In Rus’. In Sich. During the national liberation struggle. Against the Nazi occupation. And against the Rashists.

It seems that the current enemy in its evil unites all the enemies of our statehood that we faced before. And by defeating this enemy, we will respond to all enemies who encroached on Ukraine – on those who lived, who live and who will live on our land.

This will be a victory for all our people.

This will be a victory for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Our Ground Forces, infantry. Tankers. Missile troops and artillery.

This will be a victory for our Air Forces. Our anti-aircraft warriors. Our drone operators.

This will be a victory for our Naval Forces. Our marines. Our airborne assault troops. Our intelligence. Special operations forces. Security Service of Ukraine.

This will be a victory for the border guards, the National Guard, the National Police, the territorial defense, and the communications officers.

This will be a victory for everyone who will not leave even a trace on Ukrainian soil of that army that flaunted itself as if it was the second on the planet.

This will be a victory for those of our heroes who are now in Russian captivity. Those who are now having the most difficult time. It is the most difficult to remain Ukrainian and preserve Ukrainian when they are among the murderers. But we remember. We remember and do everything to return everyone – each of our heroes. We will not leave anyone in captivity.

The world sees that Ukrainians do not lose their humanity under any circumstances. The enemy can strike at our cities, but never at our dignity.

The Rashists burned down the Skovoroda museum, dozens of churches, hundreds of schools and kindergartens… But they can’t do anything against our philosophy. Against what Ukrainians hear, see and know – from a young age.

Russian missiles are still capable of driving Ukrainians into bomb shelters, but none of our people shiver there. Ukrainians sing in shelters.

We defend our freedom. Our soul. Our land. Our Kyiv. Our Zaporizhzhia. Our Odesa. Our Dnipro and Mykolaiv. Our Kryvyi Rih. Our Nikopol. Our Khmelnytskyi, our Lviv. Our Vinnytsia.

What we have preserved and will always protect. Our Zhytomyr region, Kyiv region, Sumy region, Chernihiv region, Kharkiv region.

What we did not give away and will always protect. Our Kherson, our Donetsk and Luhansk, our Crimea.

We. We all. Great people of a great country. Everyone who fights and works for Ukraine to live. Diplomats who formed the most powerful global coalition in history to help Ukraine. Volunteers who cover any needs – on the ground, in the air, and even in space. Journalists who spread the truth about Ukraine and about this war, who maintain our morale, our confidence, our awareness. Transporters who change supply chains and provide Ukraine with everything it needs. Energy workers who defeat the darkness around the clock. Builders who restore what was destroyed by the enemy. Our heroic doctors. Rescuers. Sappers. Teachers. Civil servants. Local government. Farmers. Industrialists.

A nation. A nation that defeats terror. Millions of people who are bringing the crucial day closer, each in his place. Victory Day. The day of victory in the war for our freedom. In the war for independence for all our people in all corners of Ukraine.

In the war for the right to life for the people and for the state, whose name is Ukraine.

In the war for our values. In the war for our memory and Tradition. The tradition of freedom.

In this war, everything depends on you. On what you do. On who you help. On what you gain. On who came to help us.

The world stands with us. More than ever in our history. This in particular makes us stronger than ever in our history.

But just as at any time in our history, the future depends on specific people.

On those who are currently in the trenches and on combat posts. Sons, brothers and fathers. Daughters, sisters and mothers. Ukrainian men and women, to whom I now want to say the main words.

You are the most precious thing we have. Each and every one.

Rashist tanks, inmates and mercenaries oppose you. Looters, rapists and those who have gone mad from propaganda. Thousands of people whose lives are worth nothing to their state. They are thrown into attacks, they have “anti-retreat detachments” behind their backs, they are not counted and are not even taken away when they die. They do not know what to live for, and that’s why they lose the life given to them by God so shamefully.

And behind you, Ukrainian Warrior, are millions of people who know exactly what they live for. With you, Warrior, in the trenches is our entire state, everything that we have and that is so dear to us. The future of children is with you. The gold of our athletes’ victories. Our poetry, art, science. Sophia and the Potocki Palace are with you. Our Khortytsia and our Lavra. Our Heavenly Hundred is with you. And our respect, our faith and our love. Because our state is the mother of all defenders.

Behind you is Ukraine, which knows exactly what it wants and values. Behind you is the history that has been coming to these heroic Days for many centuries, so that you, Ukrainian Warrior, will now turn it in the right direction – forever. In the right direction for Ukraine.

I know it is extremely hard for you. I know how this enemy puts pressure on you. I know what they do. But I know that you are strong, and we will do everything to make you even stronger.

I know that you are confident, and we will do everything to increase your confidence even more.

I know that you are bringing victory closer as much as you can, and we will do everything to speed it up.

All of us – millions and millions. Great people of a great country!

Happy Defender of Ukraine Day!

Happy Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos!

Happy Day of the Ukrainian Cossacks!

Glory to all our heroes!

Glory to all who fight, work and help!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 14 October 2022.

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

Today I took part in the work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe – outlined the most important things for us in achieving peace and restoring Ukraine and the international legal order after this war.

We also have a powerful response from PACE, which is the first international organization to designate the current regime in Russia as terrorist.

It is very important that this is a political signal. A signal to all states – members of the Council of Europe and all states of the world, that there is nothing to talk about with this terrorist group, which appropriated Russia and unleashed the most heinous war in Europe in 80 years.

Terror must be responded with force at all levels: on the battlefield, with sanctions, and legally

We will create a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine and ensure the operation of a special compensation mechanism so that Russia will bear responsibility for this war at the cost of its assets.

I am grateful to all our partners in the Council of Europe who work for justice for Ukraine and our entire continent. I am grateful to our PACE delegation for truly effective work!

I am also grateful to all Ukrainian diplomats and our friends in the world and in the United Nations who helped consolidate the world community of states in such a way that we gained the highest support at the UN General Assembly for the entire time of the Russian terrorist war.

The world sees what is happening. It knows the price of the farce that Russia staged in the occupied territory under the guise of sham referenda. 143 UN member states supported the resolution, which protects the basic principles of the UN Charter and condemns Russia for the criminal attempt to annex our territory. This is a record number of states supporting Ukraine today. But I believe that there will be more.

Four states came out on the side of Russia – this is very eloquent. North Korea, Nicaragua, Belarus and Syria. Such a list that everything is clear.

I am grateful to each of the 143 states!

Today, an important meeting of our team, which deals with the issue of the release of prisoners, took place in the online format with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organizations related to this process.

Very important things were said. In particular, those concerning the institutional work of the Red Cross to guarantee the safety of those held in Russian captivity.

I believe that the International Committee of the Red Cross is not a club with privileges where they get paid and enjoy life. The Red Cross has obligations, primarily of a moral nature. The mandate of the Red Cross must be fulfilled. It is necessary to immediately do what is completely logical for the Red Cross.

There is Olenivka. In fact, a concentration camp where our prisoners are kept. Access to them is required, as it was stipulated. The Red Cross can make it happen. But you have to try to make it happen. Ukraine is ready to facilitate this.

The mission of the Red Cross can work on the model of the mission of the IAEA. But this requires leadership. Conscientiousness is required. Understanding who and why created such an institution as the Red Cross is required.

I am grateful to the team that continues to engage in exchanges: Budanov, Yermak, Usov, Maliuk. Today, we managed to return another 20 Ukrainians from captivity. 14 warriors of the army, four warriors of the territorial defense, one national guard and one warrior of the Navy. We are working on getting everyone back!

Our Air Forces continue the battle for Ukrainian skies. As in previous days, I received hourly reports of downed Russian missiles and drones. During the day, 11 missiles were fired, six missiles were shot down in Mykolaiv, Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Thank you to everyone who fulfills this task!

We urgently restore damaged infrastructure objects.

I also want to celebrate today the warriors of the 5th separate assault regiment of the Ground Forces, the 1st separate battalion of the marines and the battalion of the 4th brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine for their skillful and heroic actions during the defense in the Bakhmut direction.

This direction is still one of the toughest on the front. Thank you to everyone who defends our positions there and inflicts tangible hits on the occupiers.

Now Russia is sending thousands of its mobilized men to the front. They have no significant military training, but their command does not need it at all. They expect that the mobilized Russians will be able to survive in the war for at least a few weeks, then they will die, and then new ones will be sent to the front. But during this time, such use by Russian generals of their people as “cannon fodder” makes it possible to create additional pressure on our defenders.

It’s a tangible pressure. And I am grateful to all our warriors who endure it. I am also grateful to the partners who understand that in such conditions we need an increase in defense assistance. I thank everyone who fights, works and helps to protect Ukraine!

Tomorrow we will definitely celebrate – everyone in their place – one of our most important days. Intercession, Day of Defenders of Ukraine. The holiday of all our warriors – from ancient times to the present, from the Cossacks to the insurgents, from all of them to the warriors of the modern army.

Tomorrow will be the 233rd day of our full-scale defense. And new steps that bring us closer to peace and victory.

We do not relax! We beat the enemy! We follow the safety rules! We listen to the air alarm signal, especially tomorrow!

And we do everything to strengthen Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 13 October 2022.

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

I’ve just taken part in the work of the second ministerial roundtable discussion of donor countries, the IMF and the World Bank, which help our country maintain financial stability.

The key issue is covering our budget deficit and quickly rebuilding critical infrastructure, housing and social facilities that have been destroyed or damaged by the occupiers’ strikes.

We are talking about significant amounts – tens of billions of dollars for the budget and the Fast Recovery. But the potential of democratic countries is much greater than the existing needs. Therefore, we are consolidating the support of partners for the sake of Ukraine. We are creating a financial “Ramstein” – a systemic tool for constant support of our struggle for freedom.

Another meeting took place today in the format of the defense “Ramstein”. Quite productive. First of all, they discussed providing our country with anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems.

The more audacious and cruel Russian terror becomes, the more obvious it is to the world that helping Ukraine to protect the sky is one of the most important humanitarian tasks for Europe of our time. I believe that we will cope with this task.

And I am grateful to those of our partners who have already made a decision to strengthen such support for our state – support for effective defense in the air.

By the way, today I want to celebrate the fighters of our Air Forces in the southern direction. Good results were achieved there, in particular, four Russian attack helicopters and more than ten Iranian-made attack drones were shot down. We had to defend our sky today in other directions as well.

We have positive news from the defense “Ramstein” related to the additional strengthening of our army with modern artillery. I am grateful to the partners!

Recovery after a two-day Russian missile attack continued across the country today. At that time, energy facilities were damaged in 12 regions and in the capital.

As of now, the technical capability of electricity supply has been fully restored in most regions. In four regions, work is ongoing, repairs should be completed shortly.

Our energy workers in some cities and districts have to use stabilization blackout schedules. This is necessary solely to maintain the normal operation of the entire energy system in such conditions – in conditions where electricity production has decreased.

And I want to once again thank all our people who approached this situation consciously and make their very important contribution to guaranteeing the normal operation of Ukraine’s energy system. It is worth continuing to distribute your electricity consumption by the hours of the day, in order to use as little as possible equipment that requires a significant amount of electricity during peak hours.

Today I would also like to thank all the heads of regions, mayors of cities and heads of communities, who significantly reduced electricity consumption in the utilities sector. It is important!

The situation remains tough in all areas bordering the frontline. Tonight, the occupiers shelled Nikopol of the Dnipropetrovsk region with Grad and artillery. Among the wounded is a child, a girl born in 2016. An extremely serious wound…

In the morning, Russian terrorists shelled Avdiivka, Donetsk region. Central Market. The occupiers used Grad. As of now, 7 people were killed and 12 were wounded.

Our intelligence, special services, law enforcement agencies are finding out all the details regarding these and other Russian strikes. No Russian terrorist will manage to remain unknown to justice – we will find out all the names and all the details.

Ukraine will bring to justice every Russian murderer and torturer – from commanders to privates who carried out criminal orders. By the way, we will not forget about the propagandists of terror as well. All those who justify Russian terror and incite aggression, all those who call for murder and encourage torturing of our people will be held to account on an equal footing with murderers and torturers.

The entire Russian terror machine must be neutralized. And it will be neutralized.

Gratitude to everyone who brings our victory closer!

Gratitude to everyone who helps Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 13 October 2022.

Thank you so much for your support and for such profound words. Very clear, important words, actions, messages from you!

Dear Mr. President!

Dear Mrs. Secretary General!

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, attendees!

Dear Europeans!

I am grateful for the opportunity to address you today.

These days, Ukraine wakes up every morning with two questions: what else became the target of Russian terror overnight and where else did our forces manage to defeat these terrorists?

And when I say “these days”, I don’t mean two days or a week, or even a month.

The Russian terrorist war against Ukraine has been ongoing for 232 days – after 8 years of war in Donbas.

I think you are well informed about what Ukrainians have to go through these days. There is no shortage of information in the European media about specific manifestations of Russian terror, about the specific course of this war. The Ukrainian delegation to PACE also works quite effectively, emphasizing what is important for Ukraine and the whole of Europe.

So, I will not waste time telling you about new targets of Russian terrorists and events on the frontline.

I want to focus on something else – on how and when we will be able to put an end to “these days”.

When the war will end. When peace will come. When our territorial integrity and peace on the entire Ukrainian land will be restored.

I remember when I became President of Ukraine in 2019, our state was experiencing pretty complicated relations with the Council of Europe. Then the Russian delegation returned to the PACE hall. In fact, there was an attempt to write off everything that Russia did against Ukraine and European values, starting in 2014. Write off under the guise of stories that it was necessary to maintain dialogue with Russia at all possible levels.

Then the word “dialogue” masked the desire to turn a blind eye to reality. And even worse, this word masked the desire of some subjects to join the corrupt flow of money from Russia to Europe, which caused a lot of trouble in European politics.

There is nothing like this this year. And I am grateful to you for that. Sincerely grateful.

When Russia launched a full-scale invasion, you quickly made a principled decision and expelled the aggressor state from the Council of Europe. You also adopted resolutions condemning Russian terror and the crimes of this state against international law. Principles reign at all other levels of European institutions as well.

But what does all this actually mean? This is evidence that a real dialogue has finally begun. An honest dialogue. A needed dialogue. And it’s not just the word “dialogue” that masks something. It is the real search for solutions.

A dialogue between Europeans.

A dialogue about how to save people’s lives and how to protect our values. About how Europe can withstand when everything that is fundamental to peace is attacked and when this attack is carried out not by some marginal political group, which has already happened in Europe, but by the geographically largest state in the world. The state that has been preparing for war for decades and turned the destruction of human rights into its ideology.

And we see the historically important results of this dialogue in Europe – between Europeans. We see actions that have strengthened Europe in an unprecedented way.

Never in history has a united Europe been as strong as it is now. Focused on everything necessary to prevent Russian terrorists from ruining our lives. This is the power of dialogue.

We isolate Russia together. Together we punish terror and make it feel the price for the war it unleashed.

Thanks to our dialogue, we have significant defense and financial support programs for Ukraine. And support programs for Ukrainians – those who left their homeland to escape hostilities.

Thanks to our dialogue, a lot has been done to protect Europe from Russian energy weapons. What has been called for for decades has become a priority for both national governments and European institutions.

And we should continue this kind of dialogue. Dialogue between us. Dialogue with our partners in the world.

I ask you at all levels – in politics, in the media, in communication with voters – to defend the provision of Ukraine with a sufficient number of modern anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems. Already this year, we need to protect our sky from the terror of Russia. If this is done, it will be a fundamental step to end the entire war in the near future.

We must continue our dialogue to further reduce Russia’s ability to finance the war. In particular, it is vitally necessary to deprive the aggressor state of profits from the export of oil and gas. Russia must see zero in the accounts to start thinking about the benefits of peace. This should be the purpose of EU sanctions packages.

We must continue our dialogue in order to finally find a way to force Russia to comply with the demand of the IAEA and without exaggeration all of humanity – to ensure the demilitarization of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia must not only withdraw military equipment from there, but also take away all its militants.

We must continue our dialogue in order to hold Russia as the aggressor state and each of the Russian murderers and torturers to account for all crimes in this war, for every manifestation of terror. When these legal mechanisms are established and operational, it will be one of the most powerful guarantees of long-term peace.

Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear Europeans!

This year we saw that Russia deliberately rejects any real dialogue with us. Russia wants to speak the language of terror only. And that’s a fact.

This fact must be recognized at all levels: politically, legally and on the battlefield in Ukraine – by supporting our defense capabilities. And I am grateful for the fact that the PACE can become the first international organization that designates Russia exactly this way – as a terrorist state.

But we also saw the power of a real dialogue between us. Dialogue on how to stop terror.

As a result, Europe is much stronger than anyone thought. And potentially, our ability to protect freedom, the rule of law, human rights and social justice is even stronger than we think about ourselves even now.

Europe can play a historic role in the creation of the Special Tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Let’s do it! This will be the best way to protect the principles of international law.

Europe can take the lead in the efforts to compensate for the damage caused by this war. We have to create an appropriate compensation mechanism – and we suggest the way to create it. The corresponding project has already been prepared by Ukraine. I urge you to support it – both in Europe and at the level of the UN General Assembly.

All the more so since it is in Europe that the lion’s share of Russian assets is concentrated – both of the state itself, and of corrupt officials and corrupt businesses associated with the aggressor state. Russian assets should be directed to compensation for war losses.

If you put your hand on your heart, each and every one of you knows perfectly well what elements should be in the formula of peace. All of you hear what the dialogue is about in Ukraine, in Europe, in the world to end this war and restore peace.

Ukraine offered its way to peace. This is the European way.

The way of dialogue and principles. The way of implementation of the agreed decisions for the protection of Ukraine and humanity and constant increase of the price of the war for the aggressor. The way of bringing the perpetrators of the war to justice and compensation for damages. This is the way to victory.

It is much shorter than it seems. But only on the condition that the dialogue for its sake is honest, between all those who really value freedom, and that the word “dialogue” does not mask the desire to turn a blind eye to war.

I thank you for your attention! I thank you for your great support!

Long live Europe!

Glory to Ukraine!

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 12 October 2022.