Speeches

I am grateful to you that during these very difficult years for all of us, for Europe, we have maintained unity and ensured that Europe is stronger. The world has seen Europe’s effectiveness – has seen our ability to find the right decision at the right time.

We need real steps – everything that can bring just and lasting peace closer to us – Ukrainians, and hence reliable stability for everyone in the world. And it must be done really fairly – not behind the scenes.

I started this day in the Donetsk region, together with our warriors, together with Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi and the new Commander of the Joint Forces, General Hnatov.

I thank everyone who believes, fights, helps and works for Ukraine to achieve such results – in protecting our people, strengthening our state, and bringing us closer to our peace. The peace that Ukrainians deserve!

Today is the day we have all worked for long and hard – the entire team of Ukraine. Today marks the official, actual, and real opening of negotiations for Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

Ukraine will never be deterred from its path to a united Europe, to our common home of all European nations. A home that must be peaceful!

We have already received a decision on new Patriots for Ukraine, and we are preparing a follow-up, working on the supply of more air defense systems. And long-range capability is now a question not only of what we can achieve on the battlefield, but also of when the war will end.

Russian terror must be defeated, and this is in the interest of everyone who wants to live in a world without war, which terrorists always spread whenever they are not defeated.

The European Union has approved a negotiating framework for Ukraine — we fought hard for this at various levels. And next week, the negotiations will actually begin. These are indeed historic things.

Already now, we have to take care of Ukraine in times of peace and the security of our Ukraine in years and decades to come. This is something that depends on each and every one of us who associates their lives with our state and people, with our army and security.