UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Speeches

  • Geoffrey Mander – 1932 Speech on the Disarmament Conference

    Geoffrey Mander – 1932 Speech on the Disarmament Conference

    The speech made by Geoffrey Mander, the then Liberal MP for Wolverhampton East, in the House of Commons on 17 February 1932.

    I desire to call attention to a matter of which I have given notice to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, one in which a great amount of interest is taken in this country, and not in this country alone. I raise it in no spirit of hostility, but in order to give the Government an opportunity of making clear to the public exactly what the position is. The question concerns the appointment of Lord Cecil as a member of the British delegation to the Disarmament Conference. It has come as a great surprise and a shock to many people in this country to discover that he has not found it possible to accept the invitation extended to him.

    I venture to say that on this matter Lord Cecil occupies an almost unique position in the country. In very wide circles, in all three parties, Conservative, Liberal and Labour, he is regarded as the leader of the peace and disarmament movement in the country. More than that, for years past he has represented successive Governments on the Preparatory Commission of the Disarmament Conference. He has worked right through the technique and the details for a number of years past, and from that point of view is as well fitted as any living individual to be there to assist, to advise and to conduct negotiations. He knows the whole technique, he knows the personalities of the different individuals with whom one comes into contact there, and he knows exactly how far one could go in this, that, or the other direction. It is difficult enough to hope for the success of a Disarmament Conference when one finds the machinery of the League of Nations functions rather feebly in the case of open aggression, when there may be a tendency arising in the world once more to regard treaties as only scraps of paper. In those circumstances, I am sure it would be the desire of everybody in the House and the country to see the British delegation as strong as it is possible to make it.

    What are the facts so far as they are known to the public? We know that Lord Cecil has been invited to be a member of the Delegation, and that he has not been able to accept, and the reason given by the Lord President of the Council in this House the other day, as I understood it, was that Lord Cecil felt that he would be of more assistance outside the Conference. If a person is not in accord with the policy of a certain group, he naturally would not feel very useful inside that group. It rather makes one wonder and ask questions to get information as to what exactly is going on inside. It is clear from the statements made at the Geneva Disarmament Conference, both by the right hon. Gentleman the Foreign Secretary and by Lord Cecil, that there is a certain divergence of view. The statement of the Foreign Secretary, if he will permit me to say so, seemed to me to be in a great many respects a most admirable statement. All I would say about it is that I hope that it does not represent the last word on what the Government might be prepared to do, after negotiation with other Powers. Lord Cecil in his statement did go a good deal further. I do not know that in the long run there would necessarily be any complete divergence of view. I hope not. I hope that in due course it may be possible—and I trust that the Foreign Secretary will be able to make some indication of this kind tonight—that, although Lord Cecil is not able at the moment to join the Delegation, he is not without hope that at some later stage of the proceedings he may be brought in to the great satisfaction of all people in this country who are keen on this movement and on the promotion of the interests of the Conference.

    There is only one other word I would say, that is that if it became known—and there is a chance of this in the minds of people in this country—that Lord Cecil was unable to serve the country in this capacity because he was out of sympathy or in disagreement with the policy of the Government, I feel, in all seriousness, that it would do as much as anything to damage the prestige of this Government as a truly national Government.

  • John McGovern – 1932 Speech on Rent Controls for Shops and Homes

    John McGovern – 1932 Speech on Rent Controls for Shops and Homes

    The speech made by John McGovern, the then Labour MP for Glasgow Shettleston, in the House of Commons on 10 February 1932.

    I beg to move,

    “That leave be given to bring in a Bill to provide for the reduction and control of rents of houses and shops.”

    A similar Bill to this was introduced by my former colleague, Mr. Campbell Stephen, the late Member for Camlachie, on the 2nd December, 1930, and later received a Second Reading in this House, and I am asking the House again to endorse a Bill of that description. I may say at the outset that I am rather disappointed that the Government have not seen fit to bring in such a Bill themselves, seeing that they profess to believe in sacrifices being made equally by all sections of the population. I can assure the Government that, if they bring in a Bill embodying the principles of the Bill that I am proposing, I will not ask the House to proceed further with my Bill.

    In asking that there should be control of these houses and a reduction of rents, the reduction I have in mind is a reduction to what was in operation previous to the Act of 1920, which gave power to make certain increases. The powers of the Act of 1920 were given because of the fact that an increase had taken place in the cost of building materials and labour, and also in the cost of the materials and labour involved in the repair of these properties, but the reason for that has practically disappeared. I have before me a chart from the National Federation of Building Trades Employers, in which they show that the pre-War costs of house-building were almost similar to those of to-day. A very considerable drop has taken place, and I suggest that that is a reason why these reductions and control should take place.

    There are probably hundreds of thousands of houses in this country which have been decontrolled, and people are compelled to pay the high prices charged by the house-owners. I think that these houses ought again to be brought under control, because of the fact that we have, in tenements and houses next door to one another, such disparities in charges as 20s. per month for a controlled house and 30s. per month for a decontrolled single-apartment house. I suggest that, as the reason for these increases has passed away, sacrifices ought now to be made by the landlords of this country. During this period wages have fallen to the ex-extent of almost £900,000,000 per year, every section has been asked to make its sacrifice, and we find the same rates prevailing in 1932 as were operating in 1920. I would remind the House that millions of people are being asked to bear burdens which have become almost intolerable and unbearable. With the reductions in unemployment benefit and in wages and salaries, and the application of the means test, it is not justifiable to expect that these people should pay the same rates as were paid in 1920.

    I also ask that small shops in working-class areas should be brought under control, and that some reduction should take place in regard to them, because many of these shopkeepers, with the reduced purchasing power of the people in their areas, are also quite unable to bear this burden, and we find them day after day being summoned to the Courts because they are unable to pay their way. On the other hand, hundreds of thousands of people in this country are being summoned to the Courts, and many are being evicted, because they cannot pay the rents that are being demanded. I ask the House again to endorse this proposal of control and reduction, in the interests of equal sacrifice by all classes.

    May I remind the House, in regard to cuts, that the much despised German Government brought in in the Reichstag two cuts in the rents of working-class houses? When they asked for reductions in wages and in unemployment benefit, they jointly applied a reduction in working-class rents. Surely we are not entitled to expect at this time of day that an unemployed man with a, wife and one child who is in receipt of 21s. 3d. should be compelled to pay to a landlord in some cases eleven shillings to twelve shillings out of that miserable pittance. The House would be doing well and would be passing one of the most important Measures that have been undertaken if it gave a First Reading to this Bill and gave it a quick passage through its further stages to ease the burden of millions of human beings who, I am sure, would endorse the action of Members as being one of a very humane character.

  • Boris Johnson – 2022 Statement on the Death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

    Boris Johnson – 2022 Statement on the Death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

    The statement made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, on 14 May 2022.

    I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi.

    He was a wise and respected leader who will be missed enormously. Through his work as President and Sheikh he has made a personal contribution to regional stability and conservation which will long be remembered. I know that the long and deep ties, which unite our countries, will continue and through our cooperation and friendship, we can ensure peace, prosperity and justice in the world.

    I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the people of the United Arab Emirates.

  • G7 – 2022 Joint Statement on Russia’s War Against Ukraine

    G7 – 2022 Joint Statement on Russia’s War Against Ukraine

    The joint statement made by the G7 Foreign Ministers on 14 May 2022.

    We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, are steadfast in our solidarity with and our support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s unjustifiable, unprovoked and illegal war of aggression, a war in which Belarus is complicit. We are committed to helping Ukraine, a democracy and a UN member, uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity, to defend itself and resist future attacks or coercion, choose its own future and prosper.

    In the presence of the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine and Moldova, we underscore Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and right for self-defence under the UN Charter. This war of aggression has reaffirmed our determination to reject outright attempts to redraw borders by force in violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    We are providing significant humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and its neighbours to meet urgent protection and other lifesaving needs. We continue to make substantial financial and economic support available to Ukraine to strengthen the resilience of its economy. We reaffirm our commitment to support Ukraine, including in the reconstruction of the country, and call on all partners to join our efforts to ensure support for Ukraine in meeting its immediate humanitarian and financial needs and for Ukraine to rebuild its future. We will pursue our ongoing military and defense assistance to Ukraine as long as necessary.

    We reiterate our demand that Russia put an end to the war it started unprovoked and to end the tragic suffering and loss of life it continues to cause. We also continue to call on Belarus to stop enabling Russia’s aggression and to abide by its international obligations. We urge full compliance with international humanitarian law, allowing and facilitating rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access as well as the humanitarian evacuation of civilians safeguarding evacuees’ freedom to choose their destination. We call on Russia to immediately comply with the legally binding order of the International Court of Justice of 16 March 2022 and to abide by the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly and stop its military aggression – to cease fire, and immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.

    Russia has violated the UN Charter, undermined the fundamental principles of the European security architecture as enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and the Charter of Paris and will have to face consequences for its actions. We reject any notion of spheres of influence and any use of force that is not in compliance with international law. We will never recognize borders Russia has attempted to change by military aggression, and will uphold our engagement in the support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea, and all states. We condemn as irresponsible threats of use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons or related materials by Russia and reiterate that any use of such weapons would be met with severe consequences.

    Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine as well as its unilateral actions restraining Ukrainian agricultural exports, are leading to steep price rises in commodity markets and the threats we are now seeing to global food security. As global markets suffer from Russia’s war of choice by rising food and commodity prices, thus affecting the lives of people around the world and exacerbating existing humanitarian and protection needs, we are determined to contribute additional resources to and support all relevant efforts that aim to ensure availability and accessibility of food, energy and financial resources as well as basic commodities for all. We call on Russia to cease immediately its attacks on key transport infrastructure in Ukraine, including ports, so that they can be used for exporting Ukrainian agricultural products. We will address the causes and consequences of the global food crisis through a Global Alliance for Food Security, that is to be launched officially at the G7 Development Ministers meeting, and other efforts in close cooperation with international partners and organisations beyond the G7. We will closely cooperate with international parters and organisations beyond the G7, and, with the aim of transforming political commitments into concrete actions as planned by various international initiatives such as the Food and Agricultural Resilience Mission (FARM) and key regional outreach initiatives, including towards African and Mediterranean countries.

    We underscore that our sanctions and export controls against Russia do not and will not target essential exports of food and agricultural inputs to developing countries and to this end include measures to avoid any negative consequences for the production and distribution of food. We reaffirm our commitment to protect the most vulnerable countries and people suffering from Russia’s war against Ukraine and its global repercussions.

    We condemn and will systematically expose Russia’s policy of information manipulation and interference, including disinformation which it employs to justify and support its war of aggression against Ukraine and which deliberately aims at manipulating public opinions domestically and worldwide with a view to covering its responsibilities in the ongoing war. We will continue to work together to address this manipulative behavior, in particular within the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism, and promote the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression and access to reliable information from free, pluralistic and independent media, notably on the war and its consequences for the world.

    We stand united against Russia’s violation of the UN Charter and other fundamental principles of international law. We condemn in the strongest terms the ongoing attacks killing and wounding civilians and non-combatants, the systematic targeting of critical infrastructure and the extensive harm to healthcare personnel and facilities, as well as conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence in Ukraine. We will continue to support the ongoing investigations into violations of international law, including violations of international humanitarian law, and human rights violations and potential war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine. We support investigations by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the Prosecutor-General of Ukraine, and other national prosecutors who are able to establish jurisdiction under national law. Further, we fully support the Commission of Inquiry mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and efforts of civil society organizations to investigate violations and document potential war crimes. We commit to providing investigative support, technical expertise, funding and other assistance to work towards ensuring the accountability of those who are responsible for the atrocities and crimes committed.

    A number of countries have shown solidarity and provided safe haven for those who have fled from Russia’s war of aggression. We particularly commend Moldova’s remarkable efforts in hosting so many refugees, both in relative and absolute terms. Through the Moldova Support Platform launched in Berlin on 5 April and other formats, we will support Moldova to meet short-term needs and its longer-term development and reform programme. We express our concern regarding the recent attempts to destabilise the Transnistrian region and emphasize our support to Moldova’s stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    We reaffirm our determination to further increase economic and political pressure on Russia, continuing to act in unity. We will do so, as underlined by G7 Leaders on 8 May, by imposing coordinated further restrictive measures on Russia‘s economy and financial system; by further targeting Russian elites including economic actors, the central government institutions and the military, that enable President Putin to lead his war of choice; and by isolating Russia from our economies, the international financial system, and within global institutions. We will broaden our sanctions measures to include sectors on which Russia has a particular dependence.

    We commend partners that have aligned with us, and encourage others to adopt measures to increase the cost of the war for Russia by isolating it, and Belarus for its support, from the global economy, and to prevent sanctions evasion, circumvention and backfilling. We will listen to and work with partners around the world through increased outreach to mitigate any impacts to their own economies caused by Putin’s war, and pledge our support in mitigating the costs.

    We will expedite our efforts to reduce and end reliance on Russian energy supplies as quickly as possible, building on G7 commitments to phase out or ban imports of Russian coal and oil. We will accelerate the energy transition and enhance energy efficiency in the context of the accelerated phasing out of our dependency on Russian energy, in accordance with our climate objectives and energy security imperatives, thereby steadily reducing foreign currency flows into Russia and restricting the financial means available to fund Russia’s war machinery. We will ensure that we do so in a timely and orderly fashion, and in ways that provide time for the world to secure alternative supplies.

    We deplore the domestic repressions in Russia and Belarus against independent media, civil society, the opposition and citizens who peacefully express their disapproval of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Russians and Belarusians deserve better: They should be able to make full use of fundamental human rights, most basically the right to decide their own fate and the fate of their countries. We, the G7, are not at war with Russia or the Russian people. The Russian decision to attack Ukraine was taken by leaders who reject democratic responsibility. We lend our support to those who have fallen victim to repression. We reaffirm the right of Russians and Belarusians to seek, receive and impart fact-based information from free, pluralistic and independent media and condemn the Russian government’s and Belarusian regime’s recourse to censorship and other methods of hampering Russians’ and Belarusians’ access to independent media, including through restrictions on access to the internet and social media platforms.

    We condemn actions perpetrated by Russia, which compromise the safety and security of nuclear material and facilities in Ukraine and consequently pose serious risks to human life and the environment. We underline our full support for the efforts of the IAEA and its Director-General to ensure the nuclear safety and security of, and the application of safeguards to, nuclear material and facilities in Ukraine. We call on Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine’s nuclear facilities and to return full control to legitimate Ukrainian authorities. We reiterate that the IAEA must be able to access all nuclear facilities in Ukraine safely and without any impediments.

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – Speech to G7 Leaders

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – Speech to G7 Leaders

    The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 8 May 2022.

    I would like to thank you for the invitation. Mr. Chancellor, thank you.

    I am thankful to all the respected leaders for this opportunity and for the fact that it is happening today, on this day exactly. This is a powerful support for our state.

    Dear friends!

    We are meeting on this day in such a format to determine what needs to be done to stop Russia’s war against Ukraine.

    Today, May 8, is a key day of remembrance for all the victims of World War II, for the fragility of peace and the inadmissibility of any anti-humanist regimes. But what is remembrance for others today, for our people is, unfortunately, just news, every day.

    Just yesterday in the village of Bilohorivka, Luhansk region, a Russian bomb killed 60 people. Civilians. They were hiding from shelling in the building of a regular school, which was attacked by a Russian air strike.

    To do so is to imitate precisely the evil that the Nazis brought to Europe. The missile strikes at Odesa and our other cities are an imitation of how the Nazis tried to bomb and destroy European cities by bombardment.

    The deportation of more than 500,000 Ukrainians to Russia and the so-called “filtration camps” set up by Russian troops in the occupied territories of Ukraine are imitations of the deportations and concentration camps that the Nazis organized in Europe.

    Every day our people see and die from what must have been left in the distant past. What definitely shouldn’t have returned to Europe 77 years after.

    But, unfortunately, I state: it’s back. That is why the solidarity of the whole free world has returned. That is why such historical concepts as “Lend-Lease” and “Marshall Plan” have returned. I am grateful to the United States and our European colleagues for these initiatives. That is why we are reunited in an anti-war coalition to save democracy and freedom in Europe, to guarantee peace and security. I am grateful to you for this solidarity and for this unification.

    But what do we need now to gain victory in defending freedom? Freedom of Ukraine and the whole world?

    First of all, weapons.

    I am grateful to you for the defensive assistance we have already received. Because, as in World War II, the fate of freedom is decided on the battlefield. So Ukraine must get all the weapons and all the defense equipment that will help defeat tyranny. In particular, the M142 HIMARS, M270 MLRS and other weapons that Ukraine has requested from your powerful states.

    If we had them, we would have been able to save many people. In all those cities, in all those communities that fell victim to the Russian occupiers, like Bilohorivka, which I mentioned at the beginning, or Mariupol.

    The second is sanctions.

    Ukraine will always be grateful to you for unprecedented sanctions in the interests of peace. But the war still continues. Hence, a special international group of experts chaired by Michael McFaul and Andriy Yermak has developed an Action Plan to strengthen sanctions on Russia for this war. It is necessary – I beg you – to implement these sanctions and at least give your feedback.

    No export-import operations with Russia! As long as Russia is spending the money it has earned on destroying freedom in Ukraine and throughout Europe. The democratic world must be principled in defending itself.

    We need to look for ways to influence those politicians and those companies that help Russia circumvent sanctions. For example, we transport oil to Hungary through our pipeline. And the politicians of this country not only block the supply of fuel to our territory, but also try to slow down every sanction step against Russia, including the oil embargo. The free world must not allow itself to be manipulated.

    Also, all Russian officials, law enforcement officials and, importantly, judges who work for tyranny must be on the sanctions list. They are not there yet.

    Every Russian war criminal must be brought to justice and convicted through international cooperation.

    Visa restrictions are also needed for Russian citizens so that they do not use the free world for entertainment and shopping. Everyone must fight against tyranny, not adapt to it.

    The third important point is financial support for Ukraine now and post-war reconstruction.

    Just as the Marshall Plan played a historic role in rebuilding Europe and creating new conditions for development and growth after World War II, a similar Plan is needed and it is needed now. For the world to see that freedom wins not only on the battlefield, but also in life.

    As long as the war continues, we need $ 5 billion to $ 7 billion a month in support. When the war is over, we will have to rebuild everything destroyed by Russia for a sum exceeding $ 600 billion.

    This is a lot for our state. This is not possible for Ukraine. But this is possible for you. And it’s not just expenditures for you.

    Financial assistance to Ukraine and assistance with post-war reconstruction is the prevention of much greater losses of the free world in the future.

    Russia wants to move on to Europe, and all the potential aggressors in the world, who also want to ruin the lives of their neighbors, are looking to see if Russia succeeds now and if they are able to repeat it.

    We must organize the work on the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war so that the best experience of democratic countries can be applied with maximum efficiency.

    In particular, we invite the friends of Ukraine to join the reconstruction, taking patronage over the regions, cities or industries in our country that have suffered from the war, that are destroyed. For example, the United Kingdom has already been invited to take patronage over the restoration of the de-occupied Kyiv region.

    And today, given Germany’s presidency in the G7, I propose to apply the format of cooperation that has shown its effectiveness in the unification of the German state.

    When it is clearly set who is involved in the restoration and reintegration of the normal life of each region, each city, each community it guarantees efficiency.

    Such cooperation will strengthen economic and technological ties in Europe and will benefit not only our country, but also your countries, your regions and your companies.

    I am also grateful to the European Union and the United Kingdom for their decision to abolish tariffs and quotas on our trade. This is a powerful step in support of our state and freedom in general. And this is the decision that would be fair to expect from our other partners.

    I appeal to all participants of the G7. It is time to remove bilateral barriers in trade.

    Everything I have said now is, in fact, elements of one question.

    The question is how long this war will last and how much destruction, how many victims Ukraine will suffer.

    We must do everything we can to end the war as soon as possible with the victory of freedom. For the longer the war, the greater the benefits of tyranny and the greater the loss of freedom. And not only in Ukraine, but throughout Europe.

    The lives of more than ten million people in Ukraine who have become IDPs have already been destroyed. But the world is also on the verge of a food crisis because of Russia’s actions. The Chancellor also spoke about this now. So how many more millions of lives will be lost in dozens of countries in Africa and Asia as a result of food shortages and political chaos that will follow rising food prices?

    We need an effective tool for the world’s food security. And we propose to create it.

    If we have an Organization of grain exporting countries that respect international law, value democracy and strive to protect human rights, including the right to life and guaranteed well-being, we will be able to provide food stability and a historic victory over famine.

    Ukraine is ready to present all the details of this proposal at the appropriate working level.

    Friends!

    I commend the efforts of each of you. I am grateful to each of you for the weapons, sanctions and support. But I’m sure you realize that we need more weapons, more sanctions, more support to guarantee the protection of freedom. And to fix security for decades by concluding a relevant effective agreement with clear guarantees for Ukraine.

    I offer your states – the world’s largest democracies – to become guarantors of security for Ukraine. Because this is what guarantees security for the whole center and east of Europe. Therefore, guarantees the confidence of your people that freedom always wins.

    Thanks again to every country, to every leader present.

    Thank you for your attention!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech to National Council of the Slovak Republic

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech to National Council of the Slovak Republic

    The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 10 May 2022.

    Dear Mr. Speaker of the National Council!

    Dear Mr. Prime Minister!

    Dear parliamentarians!

    Dear journalists!

    Dear Slovak people!

    Pozdravujem Vás s Kyjiva!

    It is an honor for me to address you today. And I want to start with words of gratitude for all the help that Slovakia has given to Ukraine. We greatly appreciate your defense support. And your determination in this support, which proves that you realize that freedom without force is just a fantasy and nothing more.

    It would be good if some other countries in Europe and the world learn this from you.

    We appreciate your solidarity with Ukraine at the level of the European Union. This was the case before February 24, when Russia launched a full-scale war and so it is now.

    Last year, we, with your President, Ms. Zuzana Čaputová, signed a Declaration of Recognition of the European Perspective of Ukraine. The significance of that step has now only grown stronger.

    Russia’s war against our state is not only an attempt to seize our land, subdue our people and erase Ukrainian identity.

    Russia went to war in fact against all of united Europe, starting with Ukraine. This war is actually being waged by Russia against each of the states that want to live freely and choose their own future. That want to choose which unions to be in, who to be friends with and how to trade.

    This war is against the very project of a common alliance based on common values on our continent.

    What are these values? Respect for life, human rights, inviolability of borders and freedom.

    The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Mr. Eduard Heger, was one of our first foreign friends to visit the suburbs of Kyiv and see with his own eyes what the Russian occupiers have done there.

    Last week, Bucha and Borodyanka were also visited by your colleagues from the Slovak Parliament. They also saw with their own eyes what evil Russia is carrying.

    Thousands of crimes by Russian occupiers against civilians have been recorded in the Kyiv region alone.

    Murders, torture, abductions, looting and robberies have been reported. It is recorded that the occupiers tried to destroy everything that is connected not only with the Ukrainian national idea, but also simply with culture.

    What is the point of shelling and destroying schools in the area where the occupiers entered? They even destroyed schools! What does this mean? That we are at the epicenter of the confrontation of two ideas: the European democratic idea that the freedom and life of everyone matters and the cruel tyrannical idea that only a person who can subdue other people matters.

    That’s what we need to stop together. Everyone in Europe. Because if we don’t stop it, Russian troops will repeat the crimes they committed in Bucha and Borodyanka on the land of every state they can reach, in particular on the territory of your state.

    So the first and foremost tool to win this confrontation is weapons. And I can say on behalf of all our people that Ukrainians will always remember how Slovakia gave our country at a crucial time what really helped us. And there is potential to continue this cooperation, in particular, in the issue of aviation – aircraft, helicopters.

    You know, our flag, which is now very often seen by all Europeans in their cities – I am grateful to them – it reflects our fertile land – fields of yellow wheat. And also our beautiful blue sky. We have people to defend our land. But in the skies we need more support, including yours.

    The second tool is sanctions against Russia. Together with the use of effective weapons by our Armed Forces, sanctions create a truly reliable protection for the European idea.

    Because if the source of aggression weakens, life becomes more secure for everyone in Europe.

    The European Union is now agreeing on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia. And this is the required package, including the energy restrictions that are provided for in it. I understand that this is a challenge for you and some other countries. For Slovakia, the issue of Russian oil and the possibility of its replacement is not a matter of immediate action. We understand everything.

    But I want to give you, as our friends, one Ukrainian example. To make you better understand us.

    For a long time, Russian politicians have been fighting for the supply of Russian gas to Ukraine.

    They offered various supposedly profitable options – completely non-market, cheap and convenient, especially for Moscow. They offered to get a political decision from us about a larger volume of supplies and an easier scheme of payment for Russian gas.

    Not so long ago, Ukraine was one of the biggest sales destinations for Gazprom. What did it lead to?

    Ukraine depended not only on Russian gas, but also on Russian political decisions. And any attempt to move at least to market conditions in supply ended in gas wars, and ultimately in a bonded gas agreement, which posed a direct threat to our sovereignty.

    Ukrainian politicians have also been playing for a long time with the issue of placing the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine – in our Crimea.

    In particular, they talked about the conditions of the so-called lease for the fleet, linking the gas issue to this. It seems that there may be some benefit to the state from the feigned discount on Russian gas when the Russian fleet remains on Ukrainian territory.

    While this fleet was just a cover to capture a territory. An umbrella for issuing passports to our people by Russia – our people in Crimea. For propaganda and creeping annexation, which could only be completed by the invasion, and it happened in 2014.

    That’s what happened in our history. And this is what I advise all our friends, who may become at least one percent more politically dependent on Russia, to avoid.

    We were the first to see Russia breaking agreements when it simply stopped liking them. We saw Russia turn commercial ties into a chain to keep another state close to it.

    The Russian Black Sea Fleet was used to capture Crimea. And now it is blocking the sea for us and firing missiles at our peaceful cities.

    Well, Russia is trying to use gas now to have the entire European continent obedient.

     

    Ladies and Gentlemen!

    Dear Slovak people!

    Ukraine has gone through the mistakes that our friends can learn. Russian energy is not just a commodity. It should be abandoned, especially oil, because it’s really a question of freedom. Yes, protecting freedom has a price.

    And the third aspect I would like to talk about today. This is the future of the European Union. Russia’s attempts to blackmail, split and weaken Europeans clearly show that all of us on the continent must respond with even greater unity. Even greater integration. Even with greater joint protection of our values. This is an important element of the very force that makes freedom not just a fantasy.

    Even more unity in Europe is possible only in one case – if Ukraine right now, in the conditions of war, gets a real opportunity to move faster to the European Union.

    The issue of granting EU membership candidate status to Ukraine in June this year is a matter of protecting the entire European project.

    As well as the issue of economic support for Ukraine. It is impossible to fight without the economy. And Russia is doing everything to destroy our economy. As an example, most of the Russian missiles that hit Ukrainian land hit the economic infrastructure.

    Therefore, the priority is to establish alternative routes for our exports, in particular, through the territory of Slovakia. And greater financial support for Ukraine from the European Union.

    And I ask you to be our voice in the European Union when it comes to defending the relevant positions from the destructive doubts of those who value freedom less than you.

    After more than two months of the full-scale war, Ukrainians, together with all our friends on the European continent who have shown solidarity in defending freedom, have proved that Moscow will never be able to repeat what it did in 1968 and all other attempts to spread tyranny.

    By the way, this is how I interpret the decision to award me your State Award of Alexander Dubček. I am grateful for it.

    But to really fully respond to the mockery of freedom then, in 1968, and to the attempts to mock freedom now, we still have to fight.

    We must strengthen our unity and put pressure on Russia until we see that victory has been achieved.

    I know that a donors’ conference will be held in Bratislava in June to activate assistance for Ukraine.

    I am grateful to everyone who participates in its organization, including the GLOBSEC think tank. And I believe that we will be able to discuss specific projects to restore normal life in different regions of Ukraine at this Bratislava site.

    Because the more actively we cooperate, the more we put pressure on Russia. And the more we strengthen European unity, the clearer the contours of our victory are.

    Our victory.

    Thank you, Slovakia!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (15/05/2022) – 81 days

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (15/05/2022) – 81 days

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 15 May 2022.

    Wise people of our bravest country!

    All our defenders!

    Last year, on May 14, the Day of Remembrance of Ukrainians who saved Jews during World War II was celebrated in our country for the first time. 2659 Ukrainian men and women received the title of Righteous Among the Nations. Our country is the fourth in the world in the number of the Righteous. People who risked their lives, the lives of their loved ones, but still saved those who were threatened with imminent death at the hands of the Nazis. Rescued children, adults, whole families.

    Each of these rescue stories is impressive. It strikes with courage, because there was total evil around, and people still kept good in their hearts. It strikes with belief that humanity will still win despite the then occupation and the power of the Nazis.

    The Righteous were in all regions of our state – from Zakarpattia to Crimea, from Odesa to Kharkiv. And we do not know all the stories of salvation. There were many who simply did not have time to tell thanks to whom their life was saved. They also rescued very young children who simply could not understand what was really happening to them.

    We must always remember that our people have such Righteous among them and that even in the darkest circumstances there are people who carry light. This is exactly the same striving for good that we see today in Ukrainian men and women who help save people from the occupiers, from the same Nazis.

    I am grateful to all journalists and just all caring people who document modern stories of salvation and record for all generations of our people what Ukraine has to go through and how people show their best qualities saving others – acquaintances and strangers, relatives, children, adults.

    I held talks today with a delegation of US senators led by Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitchell McConnell in Kyiv. I believe that this visit once again demonstrates the strength of bipartisan support for our state, the strength of ties between the Ukrainian and American nations.

    We discussed various areas of support for our state, including defensive and financial. As well as tightening sanctions on Russia. I expressed gratitude for the historic decision to renew the Lend Lease program. I called for the official recognition of Russia as a terrorist state.

    One of the issues I deal with on a daily basis is food security. More and more countries around the world are realizing that Russia, by blocking the Black Sea for us and continuing this war, puts dozens of other countries at risk of a price crisis in the food market and even famine. This is another incentive for our anti-war coalition to act more decisively together.

    Now support for Ukraine – and especially with weapons – means working to prevent global famine. The sooner we liberate our land and guarantee Ukraine’s security, the sooner the normal state of the food market can be restored.

    The situation in Donbas remains very difficult. Russian troops are still trying to show at least some victory. On the 80th day of the full-scale invasion, it looks especially insane, but they do not stop all these efforts.

    I am grateful to everyone who holds the line and brings closer to Donbas, Pryazovia and Kherson the same thing that is happening now in the Kharkiv region. Step by step we are forcing the occupiers to leave our land. We will make them leave the Ukrainian sea as well.

    By the way, now in many cities and communities of Ukraine there are discussions about renaming streets and squares. My advice is to turn to the stories of the Ukrainian Righteous and perpetuate their memory. Because it is about the courage and humanity of Ukrainians who have already proved that the evil that comes to our land will inevitably lose.

    Eternal glory to all our defenders!

    Eternal memory to all who gave lives for Ukraine!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (14/05/2022) – 80 days

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (14/05/2022) – 80 days

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

    Unbreakable people of our most beautiful country!

    Our defenders!

    Today we can report on the 200th downed Russian military aircraft. Russia has not lost so many aircraft in any war in decades. And Russia has lost almost 27,000 soldiers, many of them young conscripts. Russia has lost more than three thousand tanks, armored combat vehicles, a large number of conventional military vehicles, helicopters, drones and all its prospects as a state.

    And why all this? For a monument to Lenin to stand in the temporarily occupied Henichesk for a little longer? There is no other result for Russia and there will not be any.

    In fact, no one today can predict how long this war will last. But we are doing everything we can to liberate our land quickly. This is our priority – to work every day to make the war shorter.

    However, this depends, unfortunately, not only on our people, who are already doing the maximum. It also depends on our partners. On European countries, on the countries of the whole free world.

    I am grateful to all those who are working to strengthen sanctions on Russia and to increase defense and financial support for us, for Ukraine. This is the only recipe for defending freedom in the face of Russia’s invasion. And for Western countries, it’s not just expenditures. It is not about accounting. It is about the future.

    The world has already recognized that Russia’s blockade of our ports and this war are provoking a large-scale food crisis. Russian officials are also openly threatening the world that there will be famine in dozens of countries. And what could be the consequences of such a famine? What political instability and migration flows will this lead to? How much will you have to spend then to overcome the consequences?

    These are the questions that need to be answered by those who are delaying sanctions on Russia or trying to postpone aid to Ukraine.

    Every day of war is an increase in global threats, it is a new opportunity for Russia to provoke instability in other parts of the world, not only here in Europe. And these are new lost lives in Ukraine: Ukrainian men and women who give their lives so that everyone can live freely. I emphasize this: everyone, especially in those countries where they still find time to argue instead of investing in aid as much as possible.

    Therefore, much more pressure on Russia is needed. And I talk about it openly and daily to everyone on whom it depends.

    We continue to restore the de-occupied territories of Ukraine. As of today, 1015 settlements have been de-occupied, which is plus six in the past 24 hours. We return electricity, water supply, communications, transport, social services there. It is important.

    Of course, we remember every city and every community that is still under occupation. Kherson, Melitopol, Berdyansk, Enerhodar, Mariupol and all cities and towns of Donbas… The gradual liberation of the Kharkiv region proves that we will not leave anyone to the enemy.

    We do not stop trying to save all our people from Mariupol and Azovstal. Currently, very difficult negotiations are underway on the next stage of the evacuation mission – the rescue of the seriously wounded, medics. It is a large number of people. Of course, we are doing everything to evacuate everyone else, each of our defenders. Everyone in the world who can be the most influential mediator has already been involved in the relevant negotiations.

    Already 37 foreign missions have resumed their work in Kyiv. And I am grateful to all of them, because this is 37 proofs that Ukraine stands strong and has prospects in contrast to the Russian Federation. I am sure that other foreign missions will return to the capital soon.

    It is worth returning to work for all Ukrainian businesses that have not yet resumed operations, although they may do so in a safe area. Providing jobs and adjusting economic activity to the existing conditions is also a big contribution to defense, to our future.

    Traditionally, I signed a decree on awarding our heroes. 212 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded state awards.

    Eternal glory to everyone who defends our state!

    Eternal memory to all who gave lives for Ukraine!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (13/05/2022) – 79 days

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (13/05/2022) – 79 days

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

    Ukrainians!

    Our defenders!

    I do not tire of repeating these words, addressing everyone – everyone who defends the state. Today these words sound special. On the International Nurses Day. The professional holiday of tens of thousands of Ukrainian women, as well as Ukrainian paramedic officers who are doing one of the most important things for victory – saving the lives of our soldiers, our civilians.

    Today I had the honor to present state awards to the representatives of this profession. Those who did not stop working and rescuing people under enemy fire and during the occupation.

    Tetiana Tarasenko, Alla Chernets and Liudmyla Husak from the Sumy region. Vira Tselyk, Oksana Umanets and Iryna Vernyhora from Chernihiv. Oksana Balandina from the Luhansk region. Svitlana Klymenko and Maria Adamenko from the Kyiv region. Natalia Abashnyk from Kharkiv.

    With all my heart I thank all the nurses, all the medical workers who help Ukrainians fight every day and every night. And today I urge everyone who has not yet thanked them to do so. Eight years of war in Donbas, two years of pandemic, the third month of full-scale war and all their professional life they dedicate to you, us, everyone – society. So that Ukraine lives.

    I was very pleased to see the working conditions of our doctors at the Center for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery in Kyiv. The new building of the Center was built as part of our Large Construction program. And this is a truly modern building. There you feel that our medical system, our medicine can really be on a par with the world’s best medical systems.

    We invested in the development of medicine and all social infrastructure before the war, and we will definitely continue to do so after the war. Let the occupiers not hope that they will stop us.

    During the fighting since February 24, Russian troops have destroyed 570 healthcare facilities. 101 hospitals were completely destroyed. What is it? This is nonsense. This is barbarism. This is the self-destruction of Russia as a state that at least someone in the world could look at as a cultural nation.

    Tonight they struck at the Chernihiv region, at schools. Of course, the Russian state is in such conditions that any education only hinders it. But what can be achieved by destroying Ukrainian schools?

    All Russian commanders who give such orders are just sick. Incurably.

    But all the hospitals that the occupiers destroyed, all the schools, all the universities that they bombed, all the houses, bridges, businesses – we will rebuild everything.

    The occupiers struck today at the Poltava region, at Kremenchuk. Again at the plant, so that people do not have fuel. Really sick. At the Zaporizhzhia region, at the cities and villages of Donbas. But what does it give them?

    Russia’s strategic defeat is already obvious to everyone in the world and even to those who still continue to communicate with them. Russia simply lacks courage to admit it so far. They are cowards. And they are trying to hide the truth behind missile, air and artillery strikes. Therefore, our task is to fight until we achieve our goals in this war. Free our land, our people and reliably ensure our security.

    I spoke with the President of Finland. We discussed Ukraine’s European integration and defense cooperation.

    I also spoke with Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová. I thanked her for the support provided to Ukraine. We agreed on the next steps in the whole spectrum of relations: defense, sanctions, economy, including fuel imports, and further rapprochement with the European Union.

    I am preparing to continue special formats of communication with friendly societies, in particular with students from partner countries. I will address American students soon. And students from European countries as well. We must spread our Ukrainian ideas and explain at all levels how we, Ukrainians, see life in Europe and the world after this war. A war that changes everything in world politics.

    I am grateful to the friend of Ukraine, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, for today’s address to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. This is an important gesture of support. More importantly, the Netherlands is advocating the abandonment of Russian oil and is ready to do so without delay.

    I signed decrees awarding our defenders. The title of Hero of Ukraine was awarded to Colonel Kachur Roman Volodymyrovych, Commander of the 55th separate artillery brigade of the Operational Command “East” of the Ground Forces. 269 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded state awards, 14 of them posthumously.

    Eternal glory to all who stood up for Ukraine!

    Eternal memory to everyone who gave life for Ukraine!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (12/05/2022) – 78 days

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (12/05/2022) – 78 days

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 12 May 2022.

    Ukrainians!

    Unbreakable people of our country!

    We have a series of important news – clearly positive for our defense.

    First. The House of Representatives of the United States Congress voted for a new and significant package of support for our state and global democracy. Almost $ 40 billion. A second vote will be held soon in the US Senate. This decision will then be signed by President Biden and will take effect.

    I am grateful to the people of America and to all our friends in Congress and Administration for their support.

    What exactly is positive? These funds will be used as quickly as possible and without bureaucracy to strengthen Ukraine’s defense. First of all, it is weapons and ammunition for us, equipment. But not only that. It is also a support for the investigation of war crimes of the Russian Federation, the occupiers, support for diplomatic work and more.

    The second decision is important and even historic. This is an update of America’s famous Lend-Lease program. People who remember history well know that Lend-Lease was one of the key preconditions for the Allied victory in World War II. Lend-Lease assistance from the United States to the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union has dramatically changed the balance of power in Europe. Europeans then received a wide range of products under Lend-Lease – from aircraft to trucks, from aviation fuel to communication means. By the way, American radio stations and other things provided under Lend-Lease worked for the Soviet people long after the war. For decades. Hitler’s Germany, even with all the resources in the occupied territories, could do nothing to counter this potential of the Allies on the basis of American productive capacities.

    And it is no coincidence that the new Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act was signed on May 9. I am personally grateful to President Biden for this support, for this decision and for such symbolism.

    Because we are now defending freedom and the right to life for all free nations in the war against tyranny, which poses no less of a threat to Europe than it did 80 years ago.

    Simply put, Lend-Lease is a scheme to give us everything we need for defense. Although formally it is like a loan, in fact it is so profitable that it is incorrect to call it a loan.

    Firstly, we will have access to modern weapons, ammunition, equipment, and we do not need to look for options to pay for it all.

    Secondly, now the President of the United States will not have to agree with Congress on the assistance he provides. This will speed up the delivery.

    And there is one more thing that should be said separately. Ukraine is constantly discussing security guarantees for itself with our friends in a very substantive way. The G7 meeting on May 8, in which our state took part for the first time at the level of leaders, was first and foremost about that. We are negotiating with the world’s leading nations to give Ukraine confidence in security for decades to come.

    This is the first time in the history of our state when it is possible to fix such guarantees. Not something in the memorandum, not some declarative desire for some kind of course, but specific guarantees. Not only legally significant, but also spelled out so that it is clear: what exactly, who exactly and how exactly guarantees us. God willing.

    Of course, all these things will not work in one or several days. But I am sure that this May will be of special significance in Ukrainian history.

    Yes, Russian troops are still on our land. Those outcasts whom the Russian state has found for itself as collaborators make statements of cosmic scale and cosmic stupidity, as their level was characterized in “Heart of a Dog”. But no matter what the occupiers do, it doesn’t mean anything. They stand no chance. I am confident that we will liberate our land and people. By the way, today in communication with students of French universities I felt such confidence in their questions. And with new support from the United States, with Lend-Lease, with all the help we get from the UK and the European Union, from Canada, Japan, Australia – without exaggeration, from the whole free world – it will be easier for us.

    I also spoke today with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. On defense assistance to Ukraine, energy cooperation and new sanctions. New – against Russia. Step by step, we are doing everything to make the aggressor most hurt by aggression.

    However, speaking about the help of partners, we must not forget that victory is gained directly by Ukrainians who are fighting. By all who beat the enemy and strengthen the defense.

    Just yesterday, 404 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded state awards.

    The title of Hero of Ukraine (posthumously) was awarded to Colonel Ihor Bedzay, Chief of the Aviation Security Service – Senior Inspector-Pilot of the Naval Command. In total, more than 13,000 of our servicemen received state awards during the full-scale war.

    This definitely characterizes the courage of all our defenders.

    I am grateful to each and every one of them! Very grateful.

    Eternal glory to all who fight for freedom!

    Eternal memory to all who gave their lives for us, for everyone. For Ukraine!

    Glory to Ukraine!