Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for Ukraine, Europe, the United States and the wider international community to remain united and increase pressure on Russia until Moscow is forced to end the war.
In his Independence Day address marking Ukraine’s 35th anniversary of independence, Zelenskyy argued that Russia must be pushed towards meaningful negotiations through stronger military support, unity among Ukraine’s partners and tougher sanctions.
This comes as European leaders joined Zelenskyy in Kyiv for official celebrations marking Ukraine’s Independence Day.
The Ukrainian President said that he welcomed what he described as a growing recognition in Washington that Russia was not genuinely committed to ending the war. “I am glad that the United States has lost all illusions about whether Russia truly wants to end this war,” he said.
Zelenskyy added that he hoped the United States would overcome what he described as its “contradictions and phobias about Russia,” arguing that Moscow must face enough pressure to bring it to the negotiating table.
“The Russians must be brought to the negotiating table. There finally must be sanctions that will make them howl.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
He said that Ukraine should be provided with the weapons and capabilities necessary to force Russia to end the conflict. “And this is possible,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy argued that previous decisions by Ukraine’s partners had demonstrated how Western support could influence developments on the battlefield.
“About everything that protects Ukraine today, we were first told, ‘Impossible,’ then, ‘Very difficult,’ and then, ‘Not so fast.’ And then America made a decision. It worked. And America’s strength was absolute.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The Ukrainian leader stressed that Kyiv was not asking its allies to directly enter the war, but instead to provide Ukraine with the means to defend itself and prevent future Russian aggression.
“We are not asking you to fight for us. Give Ukraine everything it needs to stop this war, to stop it faster than Putin can start the next one.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
He said that preventing another conflict would require closer cooperation between Ukraine and its international partners. “To prevent that, we must act together,” he said.
Zelenskyy also called on European countries to demonstrate greater unity and resolve in responding to the war. “Europe must be Europe. United, ambitious, brave,” he said.
The Ukrainian President extended his appeal to China, arguing that Beijing should take a more active position against nuclear threats. “China should no longer remain silent,” Zelenskyy said.
Referring to threats involving nuclear weapons, he said that China should use its global influence to discourage such rhetoric. “China must prove its ambition to be one of the world’s leaders, not only economically and technologically, but also as a civilization,” Zelenskyy said, adding that “no dictators have the right to threaten the planet with their old warheads.”
Zelenskyy maintained that a united international response could bring the conflict to an end. “Ukraine and the world – together – can stop this,” he said.
Zelenskyy Hails Support From Allies
The President also paid tribute to the countries and individuals who have supported Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
He said that Ukraine would continue to remember those who stood alongside the country during some of the most difficult periods of the war. “We remember everyone who stood with us in the most difficult times,” Zelenskyy said, adding, “We believe in everyone who continues to stand with us.”
Zelenskyy described the coalition supporting Ukraine as evidence of the solidarity that had developed between Ukrainians and their international partners. “This friendship is also, today, an expression of the best human qualities that exist in Ukraine and among its partners,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the coalition backing Ukraine would remain intact. “That is why nothing will shake the coalition Ukraine has built around itself,” Zelenskyy said.
Saying that there are more people on Ukraine’s side and more countries “on the side of truth,” the Ukrainian President said that Ukraine had built strong international partnerships during the war and suggested that the support it had received reflected more than humanitarian assistance. “All of this is not charity, not mercy, but an achievement of our state,” Zelenskyy stresed.
He described Ukraine as a country that had evolved through the experience of war and was now capable of contributing to wider international security. “Ukraine no longer asks, but offers, motivates, unites,” he said.
While Ukraine continues to face Russian attacks and an uncertain path toward a negotiated settlement, Zelenskyy argued that sustained pressure on Moscow could eventually force an end to the war. “Ukraine wants peace. Very much and that will achieve it,” he said.
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