Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zilenskiy called his country a “global leadership” during a speech to parliament Wednesday (28 December). He urged lawmakers to stay united in the face Russian invasion and praised the Ukrainians for helping “find itself again”.
In an annual speech, Zelenskiy stated that Ukraine’s military resistance to the Kremlin has rekindled a belief in the values of the world in an annual speech.
“Thanks for our unity, we achieved what almost no one else in the world believed.” He told lawmakers, his cabinet and other senior officials that almost no one believed in them, as well as the military’s top brass: “Almost nobody – except us.”
In his 45-minute speech, he stated that “our national colours are today an internationally recognized symbol of courage and indomitability for the whole world”.
As lawmakers applauded occasionally, the 44-year old stood tall in his distinctive rasping voice, speaking from the pulpit of parliament, the Verhovna Rada. He was wearing a casual black sweatshirt.
Although the speech ended in a heavy focus on the war now in its 11th month and was heavily focused upon the war, he also used it as a platform to outline ideas, such as decentralising energy and making it more green, to rebuild a strong and prosperous state.
Zelenskiy thanked Western partners for their weapons supplies and said that Ukraine would create a strong defense industry in its own country, which “will be one the most powerful in Europe or the world”.
He stated that Ukraine will increase its Starlink internet service terminals to more than 35,000. SpaceX units are crucial in maintaining internet access in areas that have been severely affected by Russian air strikes.
Zelenskiy also stated to parliament that Ukraine had released 1,456 prisoners since Russia invaded. This was the result of several prisoner exchanges with Moscow.
Russia is believed to have thousands of Ukrainian prisoners-of-war, although the exact numbers are unknown.
On 24 February, the Kremlin invaded Ukraine with its troops, launching a war that killed thousands, decimated cities and displaced millions.
Zelenskiy stated that the Ukrainian war effort helped to consolidate and unify the European Union. Ukraine applied for membership in NATO and the European Union.
He said that Ukraine was now a global leader.
We helped everyone for 10 months. We helped the West to find its way again, to get back to the global arena, and to feel the West’s dominance. Zelenskiy stated that no one in the West will fear Russia.
Share this article:
EU Reporter publishes articles from a variety of outside sources which express a wide range of viewpoints. The positions taken in these articles are not necessarily those of EU Reporter.
reply
retweet
favourite
