President Zelenskyy: Free world has everything it needs to defend itself

“The free world has everything it needs to defend itself and everything people value in life. It has everything – from moral integrity to military strength. All that is needed – is the resolve to act, to implement what is necessary for peace,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the 76th Session of the Nordic Council on Oct. 29.

First of all, I would like to thank each of you, as well as the people you represent – Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland. We truly feel your support, and we will always remember the heartfelt commitment of the Nordic nations in helping us defend our country, our people, our freedom. Thank you so much! Your support is one of the strongest in the world. It’s true!

Here in Iceland, and especially in this historic Alþingi building, one can distinctly sense what it means to value time. It becomes clear how important it is for a society to grow and preserve its best qualities not just for years, but for our generations. Your respect for freedom, human life, and environment reflects the time you’ve had to live in peace, build your culture, and preserve that unique spirit found only in the Nordic countries.

You have had this precious time – time in peace. Ukraine, too, has the right to such time. Our people, our strong people deserve generations of peace – a time to live, to develop our culture, and to freely share with the world what makes Ukraine unique. Not a temporary pause of the horror that Russia, Putin and their aggression has unleashed, nor a few years of quiet before the next Russia’s invasion, and certainly not a lifetime under the will of some madman in the Kremlin. Ukrainians have the right to true and lasting peace, and I thank you for helping us achieve it. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to stand strong. Thank you for all your help.

Full text of the address: Office of the President of Ukraine