In the traditional evening address, the head of state talked about the main events of the past day.
“A year ago, the Russian military committed one of the most terrible crimes of this war. Russian bombs destroyed the theater in Mariupol. A building that was used as a shelter. There were women with children, pregnant women, elderly people. A civilian object deliberately destroyed by the occupier. We still do not know the exact number of dead. Hundreds of people? One thousand? The inscriptions “Children” next to the building clearly indicated who became a target for Russia. One of many such targets. The evil state will be responsible for each of them.
In the middle of March last year, the occupier was still in the north of our country. Many places in Kharkiv region. The enemy had completely different positions in the south. But even then we started chasing them. The day will come and we will liberate Mariupol. Our entire south. Our entire east. Just as we liberated our other cities. The day will come when a tribunal will be established to restore justice to our people. A tribunal that will punish this aggressor in the same way that past aggressors were punished. The day will come when all the perpetrators of war crimes against Ukrainians will be in the halls of the International Criminal Court and national courts.
We will do all the legal work. We are mobilizing all partners necessary for this. This is already being done. Every day we are bringing the return of justice to Ukraine closer. We work for this every day. The Prosecutor General and his Office, Ukrainian law enforcement officers, special services, the government, diplomats, my Office. Racism cannot remain an unpunished evil. There will be punishment. And if one of the terrorists hopes to hide somewhere there… It won’t work.
All those who bombed Ukraine. Who burned our villages, who attacked Ukrainian cities… In Mykolaiv, Kherson, in Nikopol and Marganets, in Zaporizhzhia, in the cities of Donbas, in Kharkiv, Kharkiv region. All those who conduct terrorist fire on the communities of Chernihiv and Sumy regions… All those who brought war to Donetsk and Luhansk. All those who tried to enslave Crimea. All Rashists will answer. They will be responsible for every Ukrainian life taken. Eternal memory to all our people, to all adults and children whose lives were taken by Russian terror!” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
He also talked about how the meetings with international partners went.
“Today I spoke with the British Prime Minister. In general, how to strengthen our defense capabilities. As always, a very specific conversation and I thank Risha, thank you to all the Brits for your continued and attentive support. The results of the conversation will be. Our soldiers will have them. Today he met with the Prime Minister of Latvia in Kyiv. He thanked for the new defense package for our country, for the principled support at all levels – from weapons to politics, from sanctions against Russia to legal issues.
We always work on two directions of our foreign policy – European and Euro-Atlantic. With all partners. With official and public figures, with politicians and all other communities who have influence. I thank Latvia for supporting Ukraine in both of these ways. European Union and NATO. Today, we spoke with Mr. Prime Minister Karinsh about the relevant prospects for this year.
Ukraine has always been Europe. Ukraine will always be Europe. Russian bombs will not change objective reality. The reality that Ukrainians defend. I thank everyone who is fighting now near Maryinka, near Bakhmut, near Avdiivka, in Luhansk region, in the areas of the front in the south. I thank everyone who teaches Russia that responsibility for evil is inevitable,” the President of Ukraine emphasized.
The head of state thanked all defenders who are currently defending Ukraine on all fronts.
“Paratroopers of the Seventy-nine – thank you even today! 35th and 36th Separate Marine Brigades – thank you guys! Fighters of the 55th separate artillery brigade – well done! 74th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion – Thank you! Thank you to the National Guard soldiers who are fighting in the east along with all of our defense forces. Battalion groups of the Central and Western operational-territorial units of the National Guard – thank you, guys! Zaporizhzhia direction: 128th separate mountain assault brigade and 44th separate artillery brigade – as always, well done! Kharkiv region: 3rd separate tank Iron Brigade, 1st separate brigade of special forces named after Bohun, 127th separate brigade of Teroborona – thank you, soldiers! Glory to everyone who is now fighting for Ukraine! Thanks to each and everyone who brings responsibility for the evil state! All of Ukraine will be free. Glory to Ukraine!”, he noted.