“Ukraine needs sufficient range. Not enough to simply say that there is a solution. Long-range enough to change the course of the war and force Russia to seek peace. And we really hope for our partners, we hope for results from our partners.”, — write: www.president.gov.ua
Glory to Ukraine!
Dear participants of this year’s Yalta European Strategy meeting!
Dear friends of Ukraine!
Thank you for the invitation. I am glad to welcome all of you to Ukraine now – and many of you are not for the first time. And it is extremely important during such a war to be in Ukraine, to be next to our defenders, defenders of Ukraine, with all our people – people who are forced to go through the most difficult thing that can happen – through a full-scale war. I am grateful to all of you that you are with Ukraine.
But it is also important for all of us to understand equally what it means to be with Ukraine. It’s not just about presence. Not only about the emotional connection with our state, with Ukrainians, with our battle for independence.
Yesterday, the Russian army struck one of the many strikes against Ukraine. It was an artillery strike. In the village of Virolyubivka in Donetsk region.
The Russians saw where they were hitting. Trucks of the International Committee of the Red Cross burned. Two people were injured by this blow. Unfortunately, three were killed. My condolences. They were workers of a humanitarian mission, their lives were taken by Russian artillery. And it is unfortunate, very unfortunate to see that the Red Cross in its official communication was afraid to even say that it was a Russian attack. This is our life. But this is their face… But it’s not just the truth – it’s a Russian strike, Russian terror. Yesterday, the Russian army delivered an equally eloquent blow. A Russian missile hit a civilian ship in the Black Sea. It seems to me that it was already near Romanian waters. It was a bulk carrier with a load of wheat. The destination port is in Egypt. And it was just lucky that none of the crew was killed by that missile. And there was no reaction from Egypt, even though it is their food security. But this is how Russia treats Egypt, food security, and free navigation – it behaves like a typical terrorist. As long as there is a moral double standard, Putin can look for something other than peace.
Now is the third year of this full-scale war. And after so many murders, after so much destruction in Ukraine, after so many Russian war crimes, after so many terrorist attacks, Putin can still afford to destroy life in Ukraine as he pleases, can buy and produce missiles, bombs and artillery, can afford even issue ultimatums to the world. But he expects – he expects that the world will give in to him, to his madness.
It is the third year of the war, and Putin still believes that it should be conceded to him. Why so?
These days there were very important meetings with our partners, there were distinguished guests in Ukraine. In particular, representatives of the United States of America and Great Britain.
Of course, we cannot fully disclose the content of closed negotiations between our partners and us. But I want to share my feeling.
Now in Ukraine, as in many other countries, the school year has begun. The children went to school. We in Ukraine really want as many children as possible to study not online, but together with other children in a normal atmosphere, a school atmosphere, when not only knowledge is acquired, but also social, communication and life skills. For this, we need air defense, primarily “patriots”, which are sufficient in the world and which we have long expected from our partners.
And when you speak at meetings, important, closed – different ones, with partners: we need air defense, it is difficult, very difficult to hear in response every time: “We are working on it.” Russian missiles and Iranian-provided “shahedis” are also working at this time, unfortunately, but they are working in our skies and against our people. And Putin does not need any permits, any long-range approvals.
You have all heard, many have seen and some have even seen for themselves how difficult it is now at the front, how difficult it is now everywhere, especially in Donetsk region, near Pokrovsk. Our soldiers are heroic there – I would like us to support them, applaud them, thank them for their courage – they are really strong people, very strong people. You and I all understand that they need reinforcements. And this means – manned and ready for battle units. It is enough not only not to lose positions, but also to restore them.
We have been talking with our partners for months about this – about the staffing of our teams. I am grateful to all the leaders, to all the states that have taken on responsible obligations and are really fulfilling them on time. But, to be honest, we are still far from fully fulfilling what we agreed on a long time ago.
And when you remind about it during the negotiations, it is very difficult to hear again: “We are engaged in this, we are working.” As it sounds, Putin is burning our cities and villages – that’s what he’s doing. And he does not need any approval. Putin interprets the delay in helping us and making strong decisions for Ukraine as permission for himself to do whatever he does, whatever he wants.
And regarding long-distance for Ukraine.
Anyone who simply sees on the map from where Russia strikes every day, where Russia prepares its forces, where Russia keeps reserves, where it locates military facilities and what logistics it uses – anyone who sees all this obviously understands what long-range Ukraine is for.
We talked about it in detail, by the way, with Anthony Blinken and David Lammy, the US Secretary of State and the British Foreign Secretary, who were recently in Kyiv. I hope that after our conversation, there can be no more open questions about why Ukraine needs sufficient long-range.
I want to emphasize once again: enough. Not enough to simply say that there is a solution. Long-range enough to change the course of the war and force Russia to seek peace. And we really hope for our partners, we hope for results from our partners. At least we are working on it.
Dear ladies and gentlemen!
When we think about how to end the war, you and I must be absolutely clear that it is us and you who need it, not Putin. He doesn’t want to finish anything. He is comfortable sending people to their deaths, ruling his people through the television and enjoying life in his bubble. Unfortunately, the war has not affected him personally and those around him. For now. For now. But Putin and his accomplices must feel all these problems that war brings. And this means that the war should become significantly more difficult for Russia. This is the only way to force Russia to accept that the war will have to end. And to conclude justly – on the basis of international law. This requires strong world decisions. And each of you knows which ones.
When we hear that new missiles have arrived in Russia from Iran, this is the same evil that the allies have already had to shoot down in the skies of the Middle East. The brand of missiles may be different now, but not the terrorist motive behind Iran’s proliferation and use of these weapons. If the allies jointly shoot down missiles and drones in the skies of the Middle East, why is there still no similar decision on the joint shooting down of Russian missiles and Iranian “shaheeds” in the sky of Ukraine? Moreover, this is not done even when missiles and drones are heading literally to the territory of our neighbors.
And when we raise this issue with our partners, all the time, by the way, everyone tries to simply, to be honest, talk about it. And they are afraid to even say “we are working on it”. Even these words are feared. And it’s true.
So far, only Belarus has been distinguished by the downing of Russian “martyrs”. I didn’t think it would be in this format… It’s really, I think, just humiliating for a strong democratic world.
Both we and our partners know absolutely exactly all the points where Russia is gathering forces for strikes. All. They know where the Russian air defense is located. If someone does not know from the partners, we can share this information. And to which positions are the launchers of Russian missiles deployed and which logistics routes are critical for the Russian occupation contingent. All this can be destroyed in a matter of months. The war lasts 10 years, full-scale – almost three. That is, what is missing to complete it? Strength? The solution? Is it a desire?
Why can Putin keep his own production of weapons at a maximum? He receives critical components. We see in the Russian missiles that hit our cities and villages every day, components from all over the world: America, Europe, Taiwan, etc. Chains of such supply to Russia still exist. And it turns out that it is cheaper for Putin to continue terror than for us to protect ourselves from this terror. The logistics of arms in Russia and the platforms for Russian strikes are simply, unfortunately, still out of reach for our defenders, for our defensive strikes. We have effective drones. But drones cannot do everything that rockets are supposed to do. And even artillery Putin can take more than enough and relatively cheaply in North Korea, when for Ukraine every defense package is an achievement.
Why am I talking now a lot, sorry, a lot, specifically about the details of weapons? In fact, these are details about forcing Russia to make peace. Putin does not understand anything else. Only that which strengthens the position of Ukraine. Only that which worsens the situation for Russia. Only that the partners are really taking the necessary steps, and not from meeting to meeting they promise to work on it, to consider what steps are necessary, as if it is still not clear to anyone what they are.
Of course, we live in a war, and in such conditions it is impossible to plan an unchanging schedule. But we are scheduled to meet with President Biden this month. I will present him with a plan to win. A system of interconnected solutions, thanks to which Ukraine will get enough strength – enough to put this war on a course for peace.
Aggressive wars, such as Russia’s war against Ukraine, can end fairly in several ways: either the occupying army is forced out by force, or by diplomacy, which guarantees the preservation of the country’s real independence and its cleansing from occupation. In both the first and second cases, Ukraine needs strong positions. The United States can help with this. If we equally want to win with our key partner. The victory package that I will present to the President of the United States can pave the way to a secure peace – to the full implementation of the Peace Formula. Unfortunately, there are still illusions in the world that it is possible to talk with Moscow or outline some new red lines, thanks to which Moscow will eventually become softer and more inclined to reconciliation. If we have no illusions, if we all want to one day hear the words “finally peace has come, a just peace in Ukraine”, then we should already hear that Ukraine has become strong enough – enough for victory. And this will be a guarantee of peace.
And it depends not only on us. In many ways – from the world, from you, friends.
I thank all Ukrainians for their courage! I thank each of the partners who really do everything to make Ukraine strong, so that our state wins.
And I want to be able to thank the leaders of the world for the key thing – for exactly the kind of help that will make Ukraine’s victory inevitable. Only in this way will the desire to seek real peace reach the Putin bubble.
Thank you for your attention!
Glory to Ukraine!
