Day 28 of the war. Address of Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Ukrainians

Free people of the free world, Ukrainians and citizens of all states who value freedom. Friends, March 24 – a month of our resistance, the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian state, the Ukrainian people, to the ruthless invasion of the Russian Federation, already a month of our defense against the attempt to destroy us, to wipe us off the face of the earth.

The initial plan of the Russian troops collapsed in the first days of the invasion. They thought that Ukrainians would be afraid, they thought that we, Ukrainians, would not fight. They were wrong, they know nothing about us, about Ukrainians, they know nothing at all about freedom, about how precious it is. They do not know how freedom enriches life, gives meaning to life, but there are many of them, there are still very many occupiers. Russia is getting manpower from everywhere, equipment, aerial bombs, missiles, searching for mercenaries all over the world, any derelicts who are capable of shooting at us, at peaceful people.

Russian troops are destroying our cities, indiscriminately killing civilians, raping women, kidnapping children, shooting refugees, capturing humanitarian columns, looting, burning museums, blowing up schools, hospitals, etc.; for them, the targets are universities, residential quarters. Anything, Russian troops know no limit to evil. But Russia's war is not only a war against Ukraine. Its significance is much greater. Russia has started a war against freedom itself. This is only the beginning for Russia on Ukrainian soil.

Russia is trying to kill the freedom of all people in Europe, all people in the world. Russia is trying to show that only the quantity of troops matters. Russia is trying to show that people are not important, nor are all the other things that make us human. Therefore, we must all stop Russia. This world must stop the war. Thank you to all who act in support of Ukraine, in support of freedom, but the war continues.

Stand up, join in from your offices, your homes, your schools and universities. Join in with a song. Join in with Ukrainian symbols to help Ukraine, to help freedom, to help life. Join in your squares, your streets, make yourselves visible and let it be heard that people are important, those who work in support of Ukraine, in support of freedom, in support of life, in support of Ukraine, on March 24th in the streets of your places, all as one together, those who want to stop the war.

And now I want to speak separately to the citizens of the RF. I am sure that among you there are many who find the policy of your state repulsive, who are already simply sickened by what you see on television, by how your own propagandists lie to you on the internet, propagandists who are paid from your own taxes, and lie about a war that is paid for from your taxes, and which makes all citizens of Russia poorer. Every day, more and more. Is this not stupid? Your state collects taxes from you to make you poorer, to isolate you from the world, so that you are easier to control and simply easier to send to war, to die.

Ukraine never threatened the security of the RF. Even now we are doing everything to bring peace back to our land, not your land, to our land, for our people. We are doing everything to end this war. And when we succeed—which we will, certainly. You will be sure of at least one thing. Your children will no longer be sent to die on our land, on our territory. Therefore, you, citizens of Russia, are also interested in peace. Save your sons from the war. Tell the truth about the war. And if you can leave Russia, so as not to give your taxes to the war, do it.

All polls show that the peoples of Europe and America support us. I am grateful to all of you for this, grateful on behalf of Ukraine. To everyone in the European Union, the USA, Canada, Britain and other countries for supporting us, supporting freedom, supporting Ukraine. On March 24, three important summits will take place at once in Europe, in Brussels. Important for the security of each of us. The NATO summit, the European Union summit, the G7 summit. I am sure people will demonstrate how they support us. But politicians must also support freedom. All of them. They must support the struggle for life.

We expect serious steps from NATO, the EU, the G7. We know that the Russians have already begun to lobby their interests. And these are the interests of war. We know that they are working with some partners. We know that they want to suppress this topic. The topic of the struggle against war. But it is the war that needs to be suppressed.

At these three summits, there will be our position, a strong position. At these three summits, we will see who is a friend, who is a partner, and who has sold out and betrayed.

Life can only be protected in unity. Freedom must be armed. The Ukrainian sky has still not been made safe from Russian missiles and aerial bombs. We have still not received aircraft and modern anti-missile weapons. We have still not received tanks or anti-ship assets. Russian troops can still kill thousands of our people. Destroy our cities. Simply because there are very many occupiers. Simply because Russia has been preparing for this shameful war for decades. We asked to close our sky and we asked that NATO aid for Ukraine be effective and without restrictions.

Any support with the weapons we need. We asked the Alliance to declare that it would fully help Ukraine win this war, clear our land of invaders and restore peace in Ukraine.

Free people of the free world. We must together not allow Russia to succeed in breaking someone. Someone in NATO, the EU, or the G7. Break them and pull them to the side of war. We shall see on March 24. Ukrainians, Ukrainians, all our heroes, a month has already passed. We have held out 6 times longer than the enemy planned. Than the Russian command reported to the Russian president.

They were sure that Ukraine is not a state. They were sure that we are not a people. They deceived themselves. But we have nothing to do with them. This is their state suicide. And we are only defending our lives, our freedom, our own state, our children. And therefore our future. This is a war for independence and we are obliged to win. Every city that heroically resists, we will rebuild. For every crime, we will bring the occupiers to justice.

Zhytomyr and Sumy, Kyiv and Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Mariupol, Volnovakha and

Mykolaiv, Okhtyrka and Hostomel, Kherson and Odesa, Izyum and Donetsk and Luhansk and Chornobaivka. All our people will live in a free Ukraine after our victory. Which will come the sooner the more united we all are. All of us, Ukrainians, all of us Europeans, all of us free people of the free world. In unity, on the battlefield and in political positions, at rallies, at summits, at work, in simple communication with people. With all our actions, we must urge Russia to seek peace.

With all our actions, we must bring the victory of freedom closer. Eternal memory to all who died for Ukraine. Eternal glory to all our heroes. Glory to Ukraine!