Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech to 2BS FORUM in Montenegro

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 8 October 2022.

Dear friends!

Mr. Presidents!

Thank you for this opportunity to address the members and guests of your security forum.

Security is a key issue of our time. And, without exaggeration, everything depends on what answer we offer now.

Not only our state institutions, our sovereignty, borders, and political system depend on it. It is literally about life. About peace for all of us.

For the first time in many decades, we found ourselves in such conditions when we have to defend the right to life for our nations. Not just one or another living conditions, not just one or another concept for life in Europe or in certain regions, but life itself.

Russia’s war against Ukraine is only a harbinger of what can await any state on our continent or in other parts of the world that this aggressor can reach.

And I am grateful to everyone who understands the meaning of Russian aggression and helps us – us as ourselves.

So, analyzing the elements of the Russian war against our state and the specific steps of the aggressor, we can draw conclusions about what forms and methods of protection we need for the sake of security.

The first is unity. This is the foundation. This is something that should always be not only formally, but also in essence. Not only at summits, but also in deeds. Not only with those with whom you are used to cooperating, but with everyone whose values are common and whose way of life is freedom.

Russia is afraid of our unity. So it goes to great lengths to break it.

But we are only strengthening our unity. And therefore, we cannot be conquered by Russia. Neither Ukraine, nor Montenegro, nor any other state of the free world.

Where real unity is achieved, there will be peace. Just as it will be in Ukraine.

The second is democracy. This is our character. We can see that the current leaders of Russia have an obsessive desire to break the principle of democratic change of power in all countries regarding which they have aggressive ambitions.

They do not recognize the results of elections and people’s movements when they lose influence because of them. And they try to stage coups or corrupt the political process when they choose a puppet to represent their interests. We have to strictly oppose this.

All European states must dismantle any Russian networks of influence. So that there is no spread of misinformation, corruption and criminal politics. It is no less important for the Balkans than for our part of Europe.

The third is independence. We should recognize the obvious at all levels in Europe and the world: Russia is not a threat to one, but to everyone. Therefore, everyone must achieve complete independence from Russia, so that it cannot turn dependence on it into shackles: economic dependence, energy dependence, political dependence – any.

The fourth is weapons. It sounds a little unusual in Europe, but now we see what kind of war Russia can make literally out of nothing.
Russia can block the sea for a country it wants to capture. It can burn cities and villages. It can arrange missile terror.

Look at the intensity of the war we are now waging for our defense. Take a look – and you will be able to estimate the amount of weapons that may be needed for defense in such a war, if Russia turns the territory of another country into a battlefield.

No matter how difficult it may be, we must ensure for Ukraine now, so that we can restore peace to all its citizens, and for Europe after this war such a volume of weapons, such a power of weapons, that Russia will never again have the desire to destroy peace.

And the fifth point is responsibility. For many years, the head of Russia and his entourage have felt complete impunity.

They destroyed democracy in their country. And they began to destroy everything around Russia. They are used to stealing what they like and buying those who were supposed to protect the national interests of this or that state from them.

They started a war against Ukraine in 2014 because they felt that they would not be punished for it. The war against Georgia showed them this.

They carried out a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, because they do not believe that the world will be able to hold them accountable not just for the crime of aggression against a sovereign state, but for any crime imaginable.

So to bring them to justice is to guarantee long-term peace after this war. The inevitability of punishment is one of the key principles of criminal justice. And we must apply this principle to the Russian leadership as they deserve it.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Dear friends!

We must strengthen our alliances and cooperation. We must get rid of all kinds of dependence on Russia.

We must ensure that we have sufficient weapons and effectiveness to provide full protection in the air, on land, at sea, and in cyberspace – in this war that Russia is already waging against Ukraine, and in any new war if Russia wants to expand hostilities now or to repeat the aggression in the future.

By the way, all this is taken into account in our proposals for updating the security architecture of Ukraine and Europe, which we presented. And I ask all of you to familiarize yourself with the draft Kyiv Security Compact, which can become a fundamental prerequisite for peace in Eastern Europe.

And, finally, punishment for aggression.

Sanctions against Russia are mandatory. They should not just act, but regularly be intensified so that the aggressor state does not have time to adapt. I am grateful to everyone who supports such a policy!

And I am grateful to everyone who works together with us to ensure that every Russian murderer and torturer receives a legal punishment.
I have no doubts about the victory of Ukraine. We can restore peace and freedom to the entire Ukrainian territory. The successes of our warriors on the frontline prove this.

But I want to be able to say that I do not doubt the complete security of Europe and each of our nations after this war. This is also possible. We know the right answers to the key question of our time, and therefore there will be peace.

I thank you for your attention!

Thank you for your support!

Glory to Ukraine!