Dear Mr. President of the Parliamentary Assembly,

Dear fellow parliamentary leaders,

Honorable guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today we are gathered at the traditional European Conference of Presidents of Parliament, which brings together the heads of parliaments of the European continent, presidents of the most authoritative inter-parliamentary assemblies and partner parliaments for democracy!

I would like to thank the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the brilliant organization of today's event, and our Irish hosts for their traditional hospitality!

It is an honor for me to speak to representatives of parliaments from countries that have chosen the rule of law, democracy and human rights as their values. 

For almost 75 years, the Council of Europe has brought together the states of the European continent under its banner.

We sincerely dreamed that this flag would soon unite all European countries.

However, war broke into our common European home.

It did not begin on February 24, 2022, with russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

It didn't even begin in 2014, when Ukrainian Crimea and Donbas were occupied.

Let us recall Moldova and Transnistria, Georgia, analyze all the outbreaks of confrontation and provocations in countries that have declared independence from moscow, and look at the almost ten-year war in Ukraine.

All these wars, all this evil, have the same nature and their initiators pursued the same goals.

We are talking about the pathological, painful desire of the kremlin regimes to restore the former empire at any cost.

It can be called the "russian world," the Customs Union, or the Eurasian Union, but its essence remains unchanged.

This essence is an imperial dictatorship that has inherited all the most horrific practices of terror, chauvinism, and disregard for generally accepted values.

All the things that the civilized world sought to get rid of while building a new architecture of peace after World War II.

The democratic world has long turned a blind eye to this imperial policy.

Excessive profits from trade with the murderers of my people, all sorts of concessions to the aggressor, blind faith in the possibility of fair agreements with the regime and unwillingness to act decisively.

All this eventually led to the realities of today.

It was a mistake.

And when Ukrainians woke up to missile attacks on February 24, 2022, Europe woke up to the realization of this mistake.

Despite the terrible price of our freedom, I am glad that the free world has finally woken up, and I hope it will never again fall asleep to the sleep of indifference, irresponsibility, and fatigue.

Today, I am honored to speak to you as a representative of an indomitable nation.

A nation that faced unprecedented challenges and did not retreat in the face of a powerful and terrible enemy.

russia's aggressive war against our sovereign state leaves deep scars on our land and in our hearts.

Towns and villages left with only names on the maps, destroyed families, abducted children and countless human lives lost forever!

The consequences of this unprovoked aggression are not only physical or economic, but also emotional and psychological, which will leave a mark on future generations.

The tied-up bodies in Bucha, mass graves in Izyum, and torture chambers in Kherson will always be remembered.

Possessing unlimited resources, russia is striving in every way to wage a long war of attrition.

It does not spare its citizens or its missiles.

There is no need to talk about moral or image damage at all.

russian missiles and drones continue to destroy civilian infrastructure and kill civilians.

Strikes on Ukrainian ports and the blockade of shipping in the Black Sea are increasing the threat of global famine.

We are approaching winter and we are already feeling the first blows to our energy system.

The kremlin is making a clear and cynical calculation that Ukraine will become exhausted and its allies will get tired of the burden or will give in to nuclear blackmail.

Dear colleagues,

We are ready for the challenges that fate has sent us, because otherwise we will lose our land, our state, and our future.

We are resilient and united.

We want a just peace and will not give up our vocation to be part of a free and democratic world.

We want the democratic world to be no less determined in its intention to finally put an end to the russian dictatorship and to prevent the destruction of its basic principles.

That is why I believe that our coalition will only grow stronger, and we will increase our efforts for the sake of a common victory.

The victory of justice.

A victory of common sense.

Victories of respect for democracy and human rights.

What do we mean by victory?

This is a question to which we must have a single answer.

Victory is the full and unconditional restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

It is the peace that will come after that.

This is justice for the victims.

It is accountability for the perpetrators.

Ultimately, victory is the creation of a reliable system to prevent war from happening again in the future.

This philosophy is the basis of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.

The Formula proposed by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A Formula that has already received the support of the democratic world.

When we talk about the Peace Formula, we are not just talking about Ukraine and its territorial integrity.

Our plan is universal and applies to all members of the international community without exception.

For justice and rules, there are no small or large, rich or poor countries.

We are all equal in our right to live, develop, and choose our own path.

This is what our Formula is about.

We are now actively working to attract as many like-minded people as possible to participate in the implementation of the Peace Formula.

Work has been initiated at several levels, and I invite each of you to join this difficult but necessary work at the parliamentary level.

Dear colleagues,

A significant milestone has been reached in our quest for justice and accountability.

This spring, at the Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik in May, a register of damages caused by the aggression of the russian federation against Ukraine was created.

This register is not just a decision, but a testament to the international community's commitment to justice.

This initiative is a ray of hope for countless victims and a first step towards the establishment of an international mechanism of compensation for those affected by russian aggression.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, in cooperation with the Council of Europe and other international organizations, remains committed to supporting this initiative and ensuring that the voice of every victim is heard and their rights are respected.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel said: "We must always take sides. After all, neutrality helps the oppressor, not the victim. Silence encourages the torturer, not the tortured."

And I am grateful to the Council of Europe for its unwavering position recognizing these words.

We welcome international efforts to hold the political and military leadership of the russian federation accountable for their actions.

In this struggle, the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly play a special role.

The Parliamentary Assembly is about dialogue, about strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation between member states, which is invaluable for international support for Ukraine.

As the continent's leading human rights organization, the Council of Europe should be a beacon of hope, ensuring that human rights, democracy and the rule of law are upheld even in the most difficult of times.

Its unwavering support plays an important role in helping our country overcome the consequences of russian aggression.

Aggression and violations of fundamental rights should not be encouraged, but should be met with joint resistance.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, in close cooperation with the Council of Europe and PACE, is at the forefront of legislative reforms aimed at restoring our country.

We are adopting laws to support internally displaced persons, restore infrastructure and bring those responsible for war crimes to justice.

We also attract international assistance, because we cannot go this way alone.

Speaking of resources for Ukraine's recovery, I return to the issue of justice.

russia has committed a crime of aggression, russia has caused enormous damage, and it is russia that must be held accountable.

I welcome the fact that some countries have already started processes aimed at confiscating and transferring frozen russian assets to Ukraine as reparations.

This is a complex legal issue.

And this is a task for us, for legislators.

I believe that you and your parliaments are ready for this work.

But there is another dimension to rebuilding beyond bricks and mortar.

It is about rebuilding trust, strengthening national unity and ensuring that future generations of Ukrainians grow up in a free, prosperous and peaceful country.

In this regard, the role of national parliaments in post-conflict reconstruction is crucial.

We urge you to support us not only financially, but also with your knowledge, experience and commitment to the principles of international law.

And we will enrich the world with knowledge of how to fight, how to believe and how to win!

Dear friends, I am deeply convinced that we have an historic chance to end the period of lawlessness that continues to interfere with the normal peaceful life of Europeans.

And we must not waste this chance or irresponsibly withdraw ourselves and leave the decision to our children and grandchildren. I have no doubt that we will have the strength and courage to bring this war to victory. A victory of the values and principles that we chose when we created the Council of Europe after the Second World War. And I am convinced that this victory will change and strengthen not only Europe, but the whole world.

One of the most famous Ukrainian poets, Taras Shevchenko, once bequeathed the following words to Ukraine: "And on the renewed earth there will be no enemy, no adversary, but a son and a mother and people on the earth." And I thank you very much for being with Ukraine, and we will definitely realize what we are talking about today.

Dear colleagues!

In conclusion, I would like to invite all of you, together with my dear colleague Ms. Marketa Pekarova Adamova, to Prague, where the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimean Platform will take place on October 24, and where we will talk about Ukrainian Crimea, freedom and dignity, and our common victory!

Thank you for your attention!