Thread by @ZelenskyyUa

Today, I addressed the Yalta European Strategy meeting, stressing that it is we who need this war to end, not Putin. He has no interest in ending it, content to send people to their deaths, ruling his people through the TV, while enjoying life in his palaces. So far, Putin and his inner circle haven't faced the real consequences of this war – but they must.

It is important to have the understanding of what it means to be with Ukraine. It’s not just about presence, an emotional connection to Ukraine, Ukrainians, or our battle for independence.

Yesterday, Russia carried out yet another attack. An artillery strike hit the village of Viroliubivka in Donetsk region. The Russians saw exactly where they were aiming – trucks of the International Committee of the Red Cross were burned, two people were wounded, and three people were killed.

The victims were humanitarian workers, whose lives taken by Russian artillery. It is disheartening to see that the Red Cross, in its communication, is even afraid to state that this was a Russian strike. But it's simply the truth – it was a Russian strike, Russian terror.

Yesterday, a Russian missile hit a civilian vessel in the Black Sea carrying wheat bound for Egypt. Fortunately, no one on board was killed. There was no reaction from Egypt – even though this concerns their food security. But this is exactly how Russia treats Egypt, food security, and free navigation – like a typical terrorist. As long as there are double standards in the realm of morality, Putin will continue seeking something other than peace.

We are now in the third year of a full-scale war. After so much death, destruction, and countless Russian war crimes, Putin can still afford to destroy life in Ukraine as he pleases, buy and produce missiles, bombs and artillery, and issue ultimatums to the world. He expects the world to fall for his madness.

These days, there have been important meetings with our partners and visits of representatives of the US and the UK. While the content of these talks remains confidential, I want to share my thoughts. In Ukraine, as in many countries, the school year has begun.

In Ukraine, we want as many children as possible to attend school in person, not just online, together with other children, in a normal school atmosphere, where they acquire not only knowledge but also social and communication skills. For this to happen, we need air defense systems like Patriots, which are sufficient in the world and which we have long expected from our partners.

Yet, when we ask for these systems, we repeatedly hear, “We are working on it.” Time passes, but Russian missiles and Iranian drones continue to terrorize our skies and our people. Everyone knows how tough it is on the front lines in Donetsk, especially near Pokrovsk. Our soldiers are showing incredible heroism, but they need reinforcements.

These reinforcements mean equipped, ready-to-fight units in sufficient numbers to not only hold ground but regain it. We have been asking for this from our partners for months. I am grateful to those who made the commitments and are fulfilling them, but we are still far from fully implementing what has been agreed.

It’s difficult to repeatedly hear, “We are working on this,” while Putin continues to burn down our cities and villages. He doesn’t need anyone’s approval. Putin interprets delays in helping us and in making strong decisions for Ukraine as permission to do whatever he wants.

It’s the same with long-range capabilities. Anyone who sees at a map where Russia launches its strikes from, trains its forces, keeps its reserves, locates its military facilities, and what logistics uses clearly understands why Ukraine needs long-range capabilities. We discussed this with Secretary Blinken and Foreign Secretary Lammy during their visits.

After our conversation, I believe there should be no unanswered questions about why Ukraine needs sufficient long-range capabilities. I want to emphasize the word “sufficient”—not just enough to say that there is a decision, but enough to truly change the course of the war and compel Russia to seek peace.

The war must become more difficult for Russia – that is the only way to make them realize it must end, and end fairly, based on international law. This requires strong decisions from the world. You all know what these decisions are. When we hear that missiles have arrived in Russia from Iran, it is the same evil that the allies had to shoot-down in the skies of the Middle East.

Now, the markings on the missiles may be different, but the terrorist motive of Iran behind the proliferation and use of these weapons remains unchanged. If the allies are jointly shooting down missiles and drones over the Middle East, why has there been no similar decision to jointly shoot down Russian missiles and drones over Ukraine?

This is especially critical when those missiles and drones threaten our neighbors’ territories. So far, the only country that has managed to shoot down Russian drones is Belarus. This is humiliating for the democratic world. We know where Russian air defense is located, where Russian missile launchers are being deployed, and what logistics routes are critical for the Russian occupation forces.

All of this can be destroyed in a matter of months. Let me remind you, the full-scale war has been ongoing for three years now. So, what is missing to end it? Strength? Decisions? Or the will?

Why can Putin continue producing weapons at full capacity? He is receiving critical components from America, Europe, and Taiwan. Supply chains to Russia still exist. As a result, it is cheaper for Putin to continue his terror than for us to defend ourselves against it.

Russian logistics and military sites are safe from our strikes because we cannot reach them. We have effective drones, but they cannot achieve what missiles are capable of. Meanwhile, Putin can easily acquire artillery from North Korea at low cost. When for Ukraine, every defense package is an achievement.

Why am I speaking in such detail about weapons now? Because these details highlight the pressure we must apply to force Russia to seek peace. Putin only understands strength. Only the things that strengthen Ukraine’s position.

Only what makes the situation worse for Russia. Only the fact that the partners are actually taking the necessary steps, and not promising to consider what steps are needed from meeting to meeting, as if it is not clear.

I will soon meet President Biden, where I will present him the Victory Package – a system of interconnected decisions that will provide Ukraine with the necessary strength to set the course toward peace. Wars of aggression such as Russia’s war against Ukraine end in one of two ways: either the occupying forces are driven out, or diplomacy secures true independence.

In both cases, Ukraine needs a strong position. The US can help achieve this. The Victory Package can pave the way for lasting peace and full implementation of the Peace Formula. Unfortunately, there are illusions in the world that it’s possible to talk to Moscow or draw some red lines that will eventually make Moscow softer.

If we want to hear the words “peace has finally come,” we must first hear “Ukraine has become powerful enough to win.” That is the only guarantee of peace. It doesn’t just depend on us; it depends on the world as well.

I thank all Ukrainians for their courage, and I thank every partner who is truly doing everything to ensure Ukraine’s victory. I look forward to the day I can thank the world’s leaders for the kind of help that makes Ukraine’s victory inevitable. Only then will the desire for peace reach Putin’s palaces.