What is needed now is joint efforts and unity among European countries and other nations that understand the importance of an effective security architecture in today's rapidly and sometimes unpredictably changing world. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in his address to participants of the 25th Berlin Security Conference.
“Security – this is what will shape the coming years. And probably the coming decades. People don’t usually think of security as a resource. But when security disappears, everything that makes a normal life possible disappears with it. We have all seen what life without security looks like. We know it. Only thugs, terrorists, or warlords seem comfortable in such conditions – until they get killed themselves,” the President emphasized.
The President noted that on November 3, the world's eyes will be on the United States, where important congressional elections will take place. He said these elections will shape the future of American politics and the future of those who are used to the United States always being there and never suddenly disappearing from the security map.
“America stood for certain rules in the world – rules that gave people and nations something real to count on. A certain way of life – where freedom truly mattered. And certain relationships between countries – backed by real security guarantees. America brought predictability,” the President said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that even if the United States does not leave its current alliances, we will still have an America that is much more focused on itself and will no longer act as a guarantor of global security. And that is a risk.
The President emphasized that Ukraine is grateful to the United States. And this is not even about some longstanding promise of security, but about the assistance that is protecting lives right now, in this brutal and insane war Russia is waging against us.
“Without America, thousands and thousands more Ukrainians would have been killed by Russian strikes. And millions more would have become refugees. That’s why we always thank America. And we mean it. Even when we say thank you many times in one speech. Just to make sure those who sometimes feel we haven’t thanked them enough can hear us,” the Head of State said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine would not have survived without Europe’s support either. Without Germany and other European countries, without the European Union, the Russians would have destroyed many more of our cities and villages.
“But what if Germany disappears from the security map of Europe and the world? What if France does? What would be left of Europe’s security architecture then? These questions are not just about us in Ukraine. And not just about countries like Lithuania, this year’s Partner Nation of the Conference,” the President said.
The Head of State noted that after World War II, Europe entered a long period of peace, during which European nations truly began to unite on the principles of equality, partnership, and working together to ensure security. And in the security system created in our part of the world, which Ukraine aspires to join, there has never been a situation in which several key players disappeared at the same time.
In the President’s view, this may be about more than simply choosing one political color or another – a choice that can always be changed. Volodymyr Zelenskyy recalled that 26 years ago, Russia held real elections. But those elections brought to power a man who is still ruling the country today. And this ultimately led to the complete loss of security not only for Russia’s neighbors, but for Russians themselves.
“And the result of one mistake twenty-six years ago is that Russia now destroys security on a global scale. It takes this resource away from every nation it can reach. And Russia doesn’t act only through obvious brute force. Its methods are absolutely different – from drones at Leipzig Airport to armies of bots pushing all kinds of extreme ideas on social media,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained.
The President noted that the stronger these radical ideas become, the more conflicts there are, and the less room remains for dialogue and working together, including on security.
The Head of State emphasized that when you are alone, you become a victim either of someone else’s savage ambitions or of your own misguided ambitions. We live in a world where we need to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, in alliances more than ever. It is a world that will change very rapidly because of artificial intelligence.
“And a world where drones will easily and cheaply fly thousands of kilometers. It will be a world where the arms race returns into orbit, with a constant threat to satellites,” he said.
The President emphasized that no European country can protect its skies on its own against the number of ballistic missiles that Russia or any other adversary of the West can launch. No country can build effective drone defenses on its own. And no country can rely solely on its own energy system.
“Ukraine is doing everything it can to reopen the sea that Russia is trying to turn into a wasteland. We are doing everything we can to restore routes for exporting food and other essential goods and resources. But we cannot do this alone. We need help from others – from partners, from friends,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained.
That is why security requires partners and allies who guarantee it together with you, the President of Ukraine emphasized.
And when it comes to new technologies such as Starlink and similar systems, various countries, including Germany, are now absolutely right to be working on developing their own versions. But no country can deal on its own with those developing capabilities to destroy such systems. So security is truly a shared European interest.
“Russia has already made up its mind. It has decided that a peaceful and united Europe is its enemy. And this is not something that will simply go away in a year. Look at the military infrastructure Russia has been building in recent years. Is all of that just for Ukraine? It’s too much to be just for one country, for Ukraine. It’s aimed at you,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President emphasized that it is important that some countries around the world now look to Europe as a source of security – still largely a potential one in many respects, but capable of becoming very strong. It is good that there is still a chance that America will remain part of the security alliance that is so important to Europe.
The Head of State called on Germany to remain a country that people can continue to believe in, because it is one of the countries without which global problems simply cannot be solved in the right way, and one that knows how to build security.
“The United States’ role in the world may become even smaller. So Europe’s role in the world must become even greater. And without Germany, this is impossible. Impossible. Without you, freedom will surely lose. Freedom and security in Europe have no alternative to your commitment and your strength. Europe has no alternative to Germany,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded.
The Berlin Security Conference is one of Europe’s forums on defense and security. It has been held since 2001. The conference addresses current issues in European and Euro-Atlantic security and defense policy.
The 25th Berlin Security Conference, taking place on November 3–4 this year, is being held under the motto “Europe and NATO: Together Strong Against Multipolar Threats.”
Panel discussions will address, among other things, the development of land, air, naval, and cyber forces; defense procurement; unmanned aerial systems; military research and development; the use of AI in the military; critical materials; the use of space for military purposes; and hybrid threats.
