Address by President
Zelensky
Mr Speaker
Order. We are now meeting informally. As I informed the House
earlier, given the exceptional and grave situation I have agreed
to a request from President Zelensky of Ukraine to address
Members of this House about the situation in his country. That is
why I have suspended the formal business of the House in order to
hear the President’s address. We have also been joined by the
Ukrainian ambassador. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”]
President Zelensky, we have watched the situation unfolding in
your country with increasing concern, but also with increasing
admiration for the courage and fortitude displayed by you and
your fellow Ukrainians. Mr President, you are welcome to address
Members of the House of Commons and the Lords. You now have the
floor. [Applause.]
Volodymyr Zelensky (President of Ukraine) [Translation]: Mr
Speaker, Prime Minister, Members of Parliament, ladies and
gentlemen, I am addressing all the people of the United Kingdom,
a country with a big history. I am addressing you as a citizen
and the President of another big country with a dream. I want to
tell you about the 13 days of war—a war that we did not start and
did not want. However, we have to conduct this war. We do not
want to lose what is ours—our country—just as you once did not
want to lose yours to the Nazis and you had to fight for
Britain.
On day one, at four o’clock in the morning, we were attacked by
cruise missiles. Everybody woke up—people, children, the whole of
Ukraine—and we have not slept since. We have all been fighting
for our country alongside our army.
On day two, we suffered airstrikes, and our heroic military
servicemen on the island of Zmiinyi fought when Russian forces
demanded that they lay down arms. However, we continued fighting,
and they felt the force of our people, who will oppose the
occupiers until the end.
The next day, artillery started firing at us. Our army showed us
who we are, and we saw who are people and who are beasts.
On day four, we started taking people captive. We did not torture
them, remaining humane even on day four of this terrible war.
On day five, the terror against us affected our children and
cities, and constant shelling happened around the country,
including on hospitals. That did not break us, but gave us a
feeling of great certainty.
On day six, Russian rockets fell on Babyn Yar, where the Nazis
killed thousands of people during the second world war. Eighty
years later, the Russians hit them for the second time. Even
churches are getting destroyed by shelling.
On day eight, we saw Russian tanks hitting the nuclear power
station, and everybody got to understand that this is a terror
against everyone.
On day nine, a meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly ended
without the result we were looking for. We learned that,
unfortunately, alliances do not always work properly, and the
no-fly zone was not enforced.
On day 10, Ukrainians started protesting en masse, stopping
armoured vehicles with their own hands.
On day 11, children, cities and hospitals were hit with rockets
and constant shelling. On that day, we realised that Ukrainians
have become heroes—entire cities, children and adults.
On day 12, the losses of the Russian army exceeded 10,000 people
killed, including a general. We were given hope that there will
be some kind of responsibility for these people in court.
On day 13, the city of Mariupol was attacked by the Russian
forces, and a child was killed. The Russians did not allow any
food or water, and people started panicking—they do not have
water.
Over those 13 days, over 50 children have been killed. Those
children could have lived, but these people have taken them away
from us.
Ukraine was not looking for this war. Ukrainians have not been
looking to become big, but they have become big over the 13 days
of this war. We are saving people despite having to fight one of
the biggest armies in the world, with its helicopters and
rockets. The question for us now is, “To be, or not to be”. This
Shakespearean question could have been asked over the past 13
days, but I can now give you a definitive answer: it is
definitely, “To be”.
I remind you of the words that the United Kingdom has already
heard because they are important again. We will not give up, and
we will not lose. We will fight until the end at sea and in the
air. We will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost.
We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the shores and in
the streets. We will fight on the banks of our rivers, like the
Dnieper.
We are looking for help from civilised countries, and we are
thankful for this help. I am very grateful to you, Boris. Please
increase the pressure of sanctions against Russia and please
recognise that country as a terrorist state. Please ensure that
our Ukrainian skies are safe. Please make sure that you do what
needs to be done and what is required by the greatness of your
country. I wish my best to Ukraine and to the United Kingdom.
[Applause.]
Mr Speaker
Thank you, Mr President. On behalf of the House of Commons, I
want to thank you for speaking to us and for giving us your clear
and powerful perspective on the tragic situation facing you and
your fellow Ukrainians. We have debated the situation in Ukraine
numerous times in recent weeks, and I know we will continue to do
so, and that when we do so next your words will be resonating
with us. I want to express the solidarity of the House of Commons
with you and your compatriots—[Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”]—and
we salute the courage of the people of Ukraine. Our prayers are
with you.
Mr Speaker
I will take points of order from the leaders of the main parties
before we return to the Opposition day debate.
The Prime Minister ()
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Never before in all our
centuries of parliamentary democracy has the House listened to
such an address. In a great European capital, now within range of
Russian guns, President Volodymyr Zelensky is standing firm for
democracy and for freedom. In his righteous defiance, I believe
he has moved the hearts of everybody in this House.
At this moment, ordinary Ukrainians are defending their homes and
their families against a brutal assault. They are, by their
actions, inspiring millions with their courage and their
devotion. Today, one of the proudest boasts in the free world is,
“Ya Ukrainets”—I am a Ukrainian.
This is a moment for us to put our political differences aside. I
know I speak for the whole House when I say that Britain and our
allies are determined to press on—to press on with supplying our
Ukrainian friends with the weapons they need to defend their
homeland, as they deserve, and to press on with tightening the
economic vice around Vladimir Putin. We will stop importing
Russian oil, and my right hon. Friend the Business Secretary will
update the House on that tomorrow. We will employ every method
that we can—diplomatic, humanitarian and economic—until Vladimir
Putin has failed in this disastrous venture and Ukraine is free
once more.
Hon. Members
Hear, hear!
5.14pm
(Holborn and St Pancras)
(Lab)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Every one of us has been moved
by the bravery, the resolve and the leadership of President
Zelensky. Invading troops marched through his streets, shells
rained down on his people and assassins seek his life. No one
would have blamed him for fleeing, but instead he has stayed in
Kyiv to lead the Ukrainian people and to fight. He has reminded
us that our freedom and our democracy are invaluable. He has
prompted the world into action where, too often, we have let
Putin have his way. He has inspired the Ukrainian people to
resist and he has frustrated the Russian war machine. He has
shown his strength, and we must show him and the Ukrainian people
our commitment and our support.
Labour stands for the unity at home and abroad that will isolate
the Putin regime. Labour stands for the toughest sanctions that
will cripple the Russian state. Labour stands for providing
Ukraine with the arms it needs to fight off its invaders. Labour
stands with President Zelensky, with Ukraine, with democracy.
Slava Ukraini.
5.16pm
(Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
(SNP)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. President Zelensky, we salute
you. We stand with the people of Ukraine on the basis of the act
of aggression—of the act of war—of Putin. We must do all that we
can to send support to Ukraine and to send the weapons that they
need to defend themselves, and to make sure that we sanction the
regime in Moscow, that we deliver the clearest message to
President Putin that this will end in failure for him, and that
he will face justice at the International Criminal Court. We must
stand in this House, throughout these islands, throughout the
western world, in defence of democracy, in defence of
sovereignty. Peace, justice and the sovereignty of Ukraine must
prevail. Let us make sure that we stand with our friends and that
we stand with those who have been bombed. We must make sure that
those who need our support, who need our sanctuary, will find a
welcoming hand in these islands. Mr President, we thank you. We
salute you. Slava Ukraini.
5.17pm
(Kingston and Surbiton) (LD)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Hearing the words of President
Zelensky should embolden us all. They serve as a reminder of all
that we stand for and of all that so many Ukrainians are so
bravely fighting for—a bravery exemplified by President Zelensky
himself. We should never take for granted our values of
democracy, of freedom and of our security. Though we in this
House may disagree on many things, we stand together for those
values, and we stand together with the Ukrainian people.
It is right that we strengthen our support for Ukraine with
military aid and with the toughest of sanctions. It is in that
support that we should also recognise the people of Ukraine and,
indeed, President Zelensky. I am sure the whole House would agree
that President Zelensky should be granted one of our nation’s
highest honours—an honorary knighthood. I look forward to the day
when we welcome back to this House President Zelensky in
person.
5.18pm
Sir (Lagan Valley)
(DUP)
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. We commend President Zelensky
and the people of Ukraine and we stand with them in this their
time of strife, but our response will not be judged by the volume
or strength of our applause for President Zelensky. It will be
judged by the volume and strength of our response to his request
for help—for practical military support and for humanitarian
assistance for the people of Ukraine. We pray for their success.
We dare not let them down.
