President Zelenskyy’s address at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024

Olaf, I want to thank you. Ursula, all our friends who support us. I want to thank Germany, all your people for everything you have done for Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine.

I said in Ukrainian. I’m not sure Olaf that you understood. But we spoke a lot. You know our language almost.

Dear Olaf and Ursula! Dear participants of the Conference!

We are honored to be here. Thank you for your attention to Ukraine and Ukrainians and for your support when it comes to us protecting life. The life that must prevail over the Russian war.

Dear friends!

This war has different levels of confrontation.

There is the front, which is the land, the sky and the sea; it is where our people are defending themselves against the military attacks of the Russian occupier.

There is our economic defense; it is the need to preserve all the bases of normal social life. Jobs for the people, taxes for the state and local communities, and the ability of entrepreneurs to maintain and expand their businesses.

There is also the political confrontation, in which we must all counter Russia’s attempts to divide and weaken the democratic world.

And there is the battle for people’s motivation – for a sense of whether normal life is holding its position.

Withstanding and winning such a confrontation is a comprehensive work. It involves efforts to defend Ukraine against Russian aggression and to ensure the resilience of our society to any blows of this war, and to preserve our common European way of life – the life of which nothing is left wherever Putin comes, wherever Putin’s Russia comes. First, it comes by dividing and waging a hybrid war, as in Moldova, as in Georgia. And then by waging an all-out war – as it did against Ukraine.

So, first: the front.

For more than two years of this war, Ukrainians have proved that we are capable of pushing the occupier out of our territory and achieving the victories Ukraine needs. We can push the Russian army out of our land, we have gained the Black Sea for Ukraine and proved that thanks to modern air defense systems, we can destroy any Russian missiles and drones. What is the key here? The ability to deprive Russia of this or that advantage. At the moment, Russia’s greatest strategic advantage over Ukraine is the advantage in the skies. It is a missile and bomb terror that helps Russian troops advance on the ground and enables Russian hatred to destroy the lives of Ukrainians, and life in our cities and villages. Every day there are up to a hundred guided aerial bombs alone. On Sunday there were 80 guided aerial strikes. On Monday – 95 guided aerial bombs. This is an insanely destructive pressure. In addition, there are missiles and attack drones. Until we deprive Russia of this ability to terrorize Ukraine, Putin will have no real interest in pursuing an honest peace and will remain unchanged in his illusion that Ukraine can be wiped out by smashing with bombs and missiles everything that gives life its foundation and protection.

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