Speeches

Our National Legend ceremony this year highlights a very important, key – in fact fundamental – pillar of statehood. It highlights the truth – about us, our history, our fight. This truth is simple: Ukraine existed, Ukraine exists, Ukraine will exist.

Thank you for the information – and for the necessary tone of the conversation with Russia. Russia must end its war, and all the necessary conditions must be created to make that happen.

When you are a neighbor of Russia, you need to cooperate as closely as possible with all your other neighbors, with all other free nations. This is a key prerequisite for reliable defense and, more broadly, a prerequisite for development.

The second important matter today was our discussion with commanders here in the Zaporizhzhia sector. There will be more of the necessary equipment. This concerns UGVs – decisions are needed to increase both production and procurement. There will also be decisions on a more systematic approach to mid-range strikes.

President Karis was here in Kyiv two days, exactly two days, before Russia’s full-scale invasion. Throughout the war, we have met with the President many times and reached agreements – always. I am grateful to Estonia for the level of cooperation we have achieved and for its unwavering principled stance in assessing Russian aggression and in our joint European efforts in defense. 

Right now, it is the resilience of Ukraine, the resilience of Ukrainians – our people – that carries the unique experience and the most relevant context. This resilience has endurance – serious endurance. Twelve years of Russia’s latest attempts to break Ukrainians. 1,643 days of full-scale war.

So let us make this meeting truly productive – with real contributions to our security and decisions that make us stronger. We need it.

hirty-five years since the Act of Declaration of Independence of our state, independence of Ukraine was adopted. Before that, many did not believe that Ukraine would become independent. At the time, the world’s most capable intelligence services did not give their presidents, their leaders, a confident assessment that Ukraine would truly become independent. But Ukrainians restored the independence of their country.

Today is Ukraine’s Independence Day. The 35th anniversary. A national holiday with a flavor profoundly changed by the war. 1,643 days of full-scale war.

It’s very symbolic that we’re together today because, in fact, we have been together throughout every day of our defense during this challenging period, from the very beginning of this war.