Tag: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 6 March 2022.

Ukrainians!

Today is Forgiveness Sunday. A day when we always apologized. To each other. To all people. To God. But today, it seems, many have not mentioned this day at all. Have not mentioned the obligatory words: “Forgive me.” And the obligatory answer: “God forgives, and I forgive.” These words seem to have lost their meaning today. At least in part. After everything we went through.

We will not forgive the destroyed houses. We will not forgive the missile that our air defense shot down over Okhmatdyt today. And more than five hundred other such missiles that hit our land. All over Ukraine. Hit our people and children.

We will not forgive the shooting of unarmed people. Destruction of our infrastructure.

We. Will. Not. Forgive. Hundreds and hundreds of victims. Thousands and thousands of sufferings. And God will not forgive. Not today. Not tomorrow. Never. And instead of Forgiveness, there will be a Day of Judgment.

I’m sure of it.

It seems everything Russian servicemen have already done is still not enough for them. Not enough ruined destinies. Mutilated lives. They want to kill even more.

Tomorrow Russia has officially announced the shelling of our territory. Our enterprises. Defense complex. Most were built decades ago. By the Soviet government. Built in cities. And now they are in the middle of an ordinary urban environment. Thousands of people work there. Hundreds of thousands live nearby.

This is murder. Deliberate murder.

And I have not heard a reaction from any world leader today. From any Western politician. Reaction to this announcement. Think about the sense of impunity of the invaders: they announce their planned atrocities. Why?

Because there is no reaction. Because there is silence. Not a word, as if Western leaders have dissolved tonight. For this day. I hope that at least tomorrow you will notice it. React. Say something. We know exactly who prepared this attack. We know exactly how orders will follow the vertical command. We know everything.

And we will not forgive anything. The Tribunal is waiting for you. And God’s judgment, if you try to hide.

The audacity of the aggressor is a clear signal to the West that sanctions against Russia are not enough. Because they didn’t understand. Did not feel. They did not see that the world is really determined. Really determined to stop this war. You will not hide from this reality.

You will not hide from new murders in Ukraine.

There was a lot of talk about humanitarian corridors. There were talks every day about the opportunity for people to leave the cities where Russia came. Russian military.

I am grateful to every Ukrainian who stays to defend our cities, even in the encirclement. Our freedom.

But I also know that there are people who really need to get out. Who cannot stay. And we heard the promise that there would be humanitarian corridors. But there are no humanitarian corridors.

Instead of humanitarian corridors, they can only make bloody ones.

A family was killed in Irpen today. A man, a woman and two children. Right on the road. As in the shooting club. When they were just trying to get out of town. To escape.

The whole family. How many such families have died in Ukraine! We will not forgive. We will not forget.

We will punish everyone who committed atrocities in this war. On our land. We will find every bastard. Which shot at our cities, our people. Which bombed our land. Which launched rockets. Which gave the order and pressed “start”.

There will be no quiet place on this earth for you. Except for the grave.

Today I decided to award orders to the heads of regional administrations and mayors who have excelled in the defense of their communities.

The Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the Third Degree is awarded to:

Head of Kharkiv Regional State Administration Oleh Vasyliovych Syniehubov.

Head of Mykolaiv Regional State Administration Vitalii Oleksandrovych Kim.

Head of Donetsk Regional State Administration Pavlo Oleksandrovych Kyrylenko.

Head of Luhansk Regional State Administration Serhiy Volodymyrovych Haidai.

Head of Chernihiv Regional State Administration Vyacheslav Anatoliyovych Chaus.

Head of Sumy Regional State Administration Dmytro Oleksiyovych Zhyvytskyi.

The Order of Courage is awarded to:

Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Oleksandrovych Terekhov.

Mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Fedorovych Senkevych.

Mayor of Chernihiv Vladyslav Anatoliyovych Atroshenko.

Mayor of Sumy Oleksandr Mykolayovych Lysenko.

Mayor of Kherson Ihor Viktorovych Kolykhayev.

Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Serhiyovych Fedorov.

Mayor of Nova Kakhovka Volodymyr Ivanovych Kovalenko.

And I decided to award a special title to our heroes, our hero cities. As it has already been once. When we withstood another attack. But a similar attack.

Another invasion. But no less brutal invasion.

Hero cities will be: Kharkiv. Chernihiv. Mariupol. Kherson. Hostomel. Volnovakha.

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 7 March 2022.

Monday. Evening. You know, we used to say: Monday is a hard day. There is a war in the country. So every day is Monday.

And now we are used to the fact that every day and every night are like that.

Today is the 12th. 12th evening of our struggle. Our defense.

We are all on the ground, we are all working.

Everyone is where they should be. I am in Kyiv. My team is with me. The territorial defense is on the ground. The servicemen are in positions. Our heroes! Doctors, rescuers, transporters, diplomats, journalists…

Everyone. We are all at war. We all contribute to our victory, which will definitely be achieved. By force of arms and our army. By force of words and our diplomacy. By force of spirit, which the first, the second and each of us have.

Take a look at our country today.

Chaplynka, Melitopol, Tokmak, Novotroitske and Kherson. Starobilsk. Everywhere people defended themselves, although they do not have weapons there. But these are our people, and that’s why they have weapons.

They have courage. Dignity. And hence the ability to go out and say: I’m here, it’s mine, and I won’t give it away. My city. My community. My Ukraine.

Every Ukrainian man and woman who protested against the invaders yesterday, today and will protest tomorrow are heroes.

We shout at the invaders together with you. We stand in the squares and streets with you. We are not afraid with you when the invaders open fire and try to drive everyone away.

YOU do not back down.

WE do not back down.

And the one who repeated: “We are one people” – certainly did not expect such a powerful reaction.

In the south of our country, such a national movement has unfolded, such a powerful manifestation of Ukrainianness that we have never seen in the streets and squares there. And for Russia it is like a nightmare.

They forgot that we are not afraid of paddy wagons and batons. We are not afraid of tanks and machine guns. When the main thing is on our side, truth. As it is now.

Mariupol and Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Sumy. Odesa and Kyiv. Mykolaiv. Zhytomyr and Korosten. Ovruch. And many other cities.

We know that hatred that the enemy brought to our cities with shelling and bombing will not remain there. There will be no trace of it. Hatred is not about us. Therefore, there will be no trace of the enemy. We will rebuild everything. We will make our cities destroyed by the invader better than any city in Russia.

Enerhodar. Chornobyl. And other places where barbarians just don’t understand WHAT they want to capture. WHAT they want to control. Your work, your hard work on critical objects is a real feat. And we see it. We are sincerely grateful for it.

The Ukrainian army holds positions. Well done! It inflicts extremely painful losses on the enemy. Defends. Counterattacks. If necessary – can take revenge. Necessarily. For every evil. For every rocket and bomb. For each destroyed civilian object.

Today in Makariv, Kyiv region, they fired at the bread factory. For what? The old bread factory! Think about it – to fire at the bread factory. Who should you be to do that?

Or to destroy another church – in the Zhytomyr region. The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin built in 1862.

These are NOT people.

There was an agreement on humanitarian corridors.

Did it work? Russian tanks worked instead. Russian “Grads”. Russian mines. They even mined the road, which was agreed to transport food and medicine for people and children in Mariupol.

They even destroy buses that have to take people out. But … At the same time, they are opening a small corridor to the occupied territory. For several dozen people. Not so much to Russia, as to propagandists. Directly to their TV cameras. Like, that’s the one who saves. Just cynicism. Just propaganda. Nothing more. No humanitarian sense.

The third round of negotiations in Belarus took place today. I would like to say – the third and final. But we are realists. So we will talk. We will insist on negotiations until we find a way to tell our people: this is how we will come to peace.

Exactly to peace.

We must realize that every day of struggle, every day of resistance creates better conditions for us. Strong position to guarantee our future. In peace. After this war.

Apart from the dead people and the destroyed cities, the war leaves destroyed the aspirations that once seemed very important, but now … You don’t even mention them.

Almost three years ago, as soon as the election took place, we entered this building, this office, and immediately began planning our move.

I dreamed of moving from Bankova. Together with the government and parliament. To unload the center of Kyiv and in general – to move to a modern, transparent office – as befits a progressive democratic European country.

Now I will say one thing: I stay here.

I stay in Kyiv.

On Bankova Street.

I’m not hiding.

And I’m not afraid of anyone.

As much as it takes to win this Patriotic War of ours.

Today I signed a decree to present state awards of Ukraine to 96 Ukrainian heroes – our military.

Including…

The Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the second degree is awarded to:

Major Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Sak. Commander of the mechanized battalion who entered the battle with the battalion tactical group of the enemy and won thanks to a rational approach to combat and non-standard tactics.

Captain Rostyslav Oleksandrovych Sylivakin. Commander of the mechanized battalion, which successfully fought the overwhelming forces of the enemy, liberating Ukrainian towns and villages in the Sumy region.

The Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the third degree is awarded to:

Lieutenant Ihor Serhiyovych Lozovyi. Acting as part of the group, he stopped a column of enemy vehicles numbering about 150 units, which was moving in the direction of the Zhytomyr-Kyiv route. Destroyed.

Lieutenant Vitaliy Viktorovych Poturemets. He showed exemplary courage and composure in the battle, destroying a column of enemy equipment near the city of Kyiv. He was wounded.

The Order “For Courage” of the third degree is awarded to:

Master Sergeant, Commander of the Automobile Platoon Valentyn Viktorovych Baryliuk. Thanks to his brave actions and personal determination, the tank unit received fuel in time and left the encirclement, destroying the enemy on the way.

All 96 of our heroes are like these five!

Our gratitude to all the military.

Our gratitude to the Armed Forces of Ukraine!

Our gratitude is boundless.

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 8 March 2022.

Ukrainians!

We always celebrate this holiday. The holiday of spring. We congratulate Ukrainian women, our girls, wives, mothers.

Always.

But not today.

Today, I just can’t tell you the traditional words. I just can’t congratulate you. I can’t. When there are so many deaths. When there is so much grief. When there is so much suffering.

When the war continues. A full-scale terrorist war against our people. The people of Ukraine.

The invaders bombed Sumy again. With air bombs. Our peaceful city that has never threatened Russia in its history! Good, quiet, soulful Sumshchyna! Which is turned into hell.

Mariupol. Peaceful and hard-working city without any internal malice. It was surrounded. Blocked. And is being deliberately exhausted. Deliberately tortured. The invaders deliberately cut off communication. Deliberately block the delivery of food, water supply. Turn off the electricity.

In Mariupol, for the first time in dozens of years, perhaps for the first time since the Nazi invasion, a child died of dehydration.

Hear me, today, dear partners!

A child died of dehydration. In 2022!

We have been fighting for the thirteenth day. We destroy the invaders wherever we can. Everywhere. But there is a sky. Hundreds of Russian cruise missiles. Hundreds of fighter jets of the invaders. Hundreds of helicopters. Yes, we destroy them.

Russia has not lost as much aircraft in the past 30 years as in these 13 days in Ukraine.

But they still have enough machinery to kill. There are still enough missiles for terror. They still have enough 500 kg bombs to drop them on us, ordinary people. On Chernihiv and Kyiv. Odesa and Kharkiv. Poltava and Zhytomyr. Dozens and dozens of Ukrainian cities. On millions of peaceful Ukrainian people.

It has been 13 days of promises. 13 days when we are told that there will soon be help in the sky. There will be planes. They will be handed over to us…

The blame for every death of every person in Ukraine from air strikes and in blocked cities, of course, lies with the Russian state, the Russian military, those who give and those who carry out criminal orders, who violate all the rules of warfare, who deliberately exterminate the Ukrainian people.

The fault lies with the invaders. But the responsibility for this lies also with those who have not been able to make an obviously necessary decision somewhere in the West, somewhere in the offices for 13 days. Those who have not yet secured the Ukrainian sky from Russian murderers.

Those who did not save our cities from air strikes. From these bombs, missiles. Although they can.

Those who do not help in lifting the blockade.

Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people in the cities are on the verge of life and death. Literally.

Not as it sounds in the comments of politicians about providing Ukraine with vital combat aircraft. Vital missile defense.

Vitally important!

We have heard many assurances and seen many agreements. In particular, on the creation of humanitarian corridors. To save our citizens in Mariupol. But they didn’t work. All of them didn’t work. Yet. And I have no more time to wait. We do not have. Mariupol doesn’t have time to wait.

It is the invaders who want our people to die. Not us. We sent columns with humanitarian aid to Mariupol. Everything necessary is there! We sent vehicles to rescue people. Drivers understand everything. They are heroes. Brave people! They understand that Russian troops can simply destroy these vehicles on the road. Just as they did, killing people who were just trying to get to a safe territory from the war zone.

But if you fire at these vehicles, these people, you should know that it will be before the eyes of the whole world.

Everyone will be witnesses. And everyone will testify.

When everyone, I repeat this, everyone who gives and fulfills inhuman orders will be severely judged and convicted.

We have seen the concrete consent of the Russian side to organize an evacuation corridor from the city of Sumy. And not just for our people. For hundreds of foreigners. Citizens of India, China. These are students who studied in Sumy.

You know, I was told that the Red Cross, the International Red Cross, forbids us to use the emblem on vehicles carrying out humanitarian missions. The Red Cross prohibits it as if it is their property.

And this is indicative. This says a lot about the fact that some people, very influential, have decided to give up Ukrainians.

But we will not allow it. And I will not allow it.

Our friends. They are next to us.

I will appeal directly to the nations of the world if the leaders of the world do not make every effort to stop this war, this genocide.

Of course, we continue to talk to our partners, to the leaders, parliamentarians of all countries who know how to help Ukraine. We have a very busy negotiation period.

I spoke with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. The people of Lithuania always stand by Ukrainians in this struggle. We feel this help and appreciate it.

I spoke with President of the European Council, our friend Charles Michel. I also spoke with Prime Minister of India, Mr. Modi.

But there are things that are not decided in negotiations, that depend not directly on us, but on humanity, which must win in the leading capitals, must overcome fear, must overcome any benefits.

And then we will see that the Ukrainian sky is safe and the Ukrainian cities are unblocked.

We can do this together as people of the world. And if the world stands aloof, it will lose itself. Forever. Because there are unconditional values. The same for everyone. First of all, this is life. The right to life for everyone.

This is exactly what we are fighting for in Ukraine. Very fiercely, together with our military. This is exactly what these weak invaders want to deprive us of.

This is exactly what the whole world must protect.

Glory to Ukraine!