Thank you very much Prime Minister,
Thank you for your kind words about us, about Ukraine, about our fight and thank you for confirming that relations and cooperation between Ukraine and Britain, as well as between Britain and all of Europe, remain crucial.
Dear friends, dear partners,
We are now at Blenheim, and indeed, this place is associated with Winston Churchill. And however, this palace is not solely connected to him. Among many, it is him who we remember with special esteem, and it is he who adds grandeur to Blenheim. We hold dear Churchill’s jokes and remarks – though we probably would not want to be the subjects of such biting humor. We return to his speeches and measure our own principles against his decisions, aspiring to similar heights. Yet, it was not this that created his legend. It was his ability to be a steadfast barrier between history and cowardice, and that is the key reason people still look up to him. Bravery made Churchill – Churchill. Bravery won the greatest battle of his life. It was the battle for Britain and, of course, for all Europe… Will Europe be a continent that neither surrenders nor sells itself to tyrants? Will Europe be a continent of nations and communities, not a few führers and their hatred? It was resolved then. And we all see how much the bravery of previous generations has won for us. They secured this Europe for us, which has been peaceful for so long. And now, our bravery and cooperation must achieve no less, so that the children of our nations can someday look back at us – at what we’ve done, at what we’ve chosen, at what we have promised – and see the pillars of their peace, their security, and their prosperity just as we see it when we look back at the most famous person from Blenheim.
Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear leaders,
I will focus on three points today.
First.
We have maintained unity in Europe and are acting together, which means that Putin has missed his primary target – he has failed to create division in Europe. The more decisive Europe is in preserving this unity, the longer-lasting peace we will ensure. Putin cannot sustain relationships with truly strong leaders, and this is our advantage, but it remains an advantage only as long as we are united. He may try to approach you or go to some of your partners individually, trying to tempt or pressure you, to blackmail you, so that one of you betrays the rest – weakening our unity. Yes, everyone chooses for themselves how to act, of course, and what legacy to leave. But if someone in Europe tries to resolve issues behind others’ backs or even at the expense of someone else, if someone wants to make some trips to the capital of war – to talk and perhaps promise something against our common interests or at the expense of Ukraine or other countries, then why should we consider such a person? The EU and NATO can also address all their issues without this one individual.
Second.
The reality on the battlefield is more convincing than any abstract deliberations. We have stopped the Russian advance on Kharkiv. Period. Putin has sacrificed tens of thousands of his citizens but has achieved nothing significant. This was made possible by the bravery of our warriors and the bravery of our partners, who have lifted limitations on the use of Western weapons along our border. Did this lead to escalation? No. On the contrary, it blocked Putin’s attempt to expand the war. Did Putin have any response? No. Even when a Russian missile strikes children with cancer, as happened recently, it only repeats the evil we have already seen from Russia in this war. So, we must act as brave as necessary to achieve results. We can steer this war towards its just ending with the power of our weapons and our diplomacy, and we should not fear these capabilities. The more effective our air defense is, the more helpless Putin will be. The fewer restrictions we have on the use of effective weapons, the more Russia will seek peace. Military airfields from which Russian jets take off with bombs against our cities, our people, our children and the launch sites of Russian missiles – all these must be destroyed. This will not only eliminate some targets but will also reduce Russia’s capability to continue this war. The missiles and drones are not “bearers of state sovereignty”, so there must be a collective will, collective will to shoot them down – just as it was with Iranian missiles and drones. I appeal to all of you, to all leaders who can contribute to the required bravery. These steps must be taken. And I address primarily the United States, the UK, France, Germany, and Poland and other friends – your bravery can be decisive for peace.
And third.
Diplomacy. Everything that adds to our collective strength is useful for bringing peace closer. And I thank all of you for supporting the opening of negotiations for Ukraine’s membership in the EU. This proved that even in the most difficult circumstances, the EU can keep its promises, and it gave Ukraine moral strength. The people fighting for Ukraine and for Europe – should feel that Europe is becoming closer. And I also want to thank those of you who firmly support Ukraine on its path to NATO. Although the Ukraine’s membership has not yet united all 32 NATO states, we have achieved that the complete elimination of this security deficit in Europe through Ukraine’s accession to NATO has become irreversible. And what we must do utmost this year are Peace Summits. I am grateful to Switzerland and all the partners who helped us organize the first Peace Summit. It was a success for everyone who wants a just end to this war. Now we are preparing for the second Peace Summit, and soon working groups will begin on the points of the Peace Formula. These are energy security, food security, and a humanitarian group that will deal with the release of prisoners and the return of deportees. Later, there will be other groups. I ask all of you to support these efforts, join the common work, and choose for yourself the points of the Peace Formula where you can show your leadership. And please, this is very important – convince the partners around the globe that they also have to be brave regardless of threats and blackmail – their joint efforts are needed for the sake of peace. When the aggressor loses – the world wins. This has happened repeatedly in human history. It must happen this time too to the Russia’s aggression.
Thank you very much, thank you for every life saved by your support! Thank you for the invitation, Prime Minister!
Glory to Ukraine!
