The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
Address by the President of Ukraine on the Fourth Anniversary of the Beginning of Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine.
Dear Ukrain
Today marks exactly four years since Putin was supposed to take Kyiv in three days. And that, in fact, says a great deal about our resistance — about how Ukraine has fought all this time. Behind these words stand millions of our people. Behind these words are immense courage, very hard work, endurance, and a long path that Ukraine has been overcoming since February 24.
This office, this small room in the bunker on Bankova Street — this is where I had my first conversations with world leaders at the beginning of the war. Here I spoke with President Biden, and it was right here that I heard: “Volodymyr, there is danger, you need to urgently leave Ukraine. We are ready to help with that”. And I replied here that I needed weapons, not a taxi. And not because we are all fearless or made of steel. We are all human, and on that day all of us — all Ukrainians — felt fear and pain, and many were in shock, many didn’t know what to say, but on some… some invisible level, we all knew that we had no other Ukraine.
This is our home, and we all understood what had to be done. It was a choice — the choice that millions of Ukrainians made then. Our people did not raise a white flag but defended the blue and yellow one. And the occupiers, who thought they would be greeted here with lines of people holding flowers, saw lines at military enlistment offices instead. Our people chose resistance. And our warriors — they stood firm, and civilians defended cities, defended our villages, streets, yards, and ordinary people literally formed a living wall to stop columns of military vehicles. And all together we pointed the invader, who had lost its way, to the only right direction.
Everyone understood: every tomorrow had to be earned. Ukraine had to stand — our state had to keep standing no matter what. And no matter what, our Ukraine had to keep working. Much was done right here — we had never shown this facility before. Now it is empty, of course, but at the beginning of the war… in the beginning, there were hundreds of people here.
I worked here, then went upstairs to address you, to address our people. Our team was here, the government, daily meetings with the military, phone calls, the search for solutions — everything necessary for Ukraine to withstand. Weapons had to be delivered. Medicines had to be delivered, food had to be delivered to cities blocked by the enemy — so that life could go on, the life Ukraine was fighting for so desperately.
And, frankly, well… it was different at times, and both official language and very unofficial language were heard here, because every package of aid, every sanction against Russia, every shipment of weapons — each of these had to be literally… literally fought for. We had to fight for faith in Ukraine. Make the world engage. And that was the key message in our addresses to European countries, to the U.S. Congress, to most parliaments of the world. And to people, of course — to ordinary people, to millions around the world: stand with us, stand with Ukraine, believe in us, stand with Ukraine, be brave like Ukraine!
These calls worked because Ukrainians fought in a way that took one’s breath away. And this resistance could be seen from space. It inspired — absolutely — and soon everyone saw this blue-and-yellow sea, thousands of people with our flags on squares across Europe and the world.
And so step by step, difficult step by step, brick by brick, Ukraine built the foundation that allowed us to endure: when we survived the first day of the war — the longest in our lives. And then another. And another. Then a week. Two. And then… then a month. And we saw spring. We won it when it seemed that February would never end. We won our first spring during the big war. It was a turning point, and for the first time a thought rushed through every mind: we can do it. Ukraine can do it.
I really like the phrase that everyone reposted then. A kind of summary of the first phase of the full-scale war, when Ukraine said: “You think I’m on my knees? I’m just lacing up my boots”. And ahead lay a long road. And even this extended tunnel cannot contain a millionth part of the pain Ukraine has endured during this time. The pain Russia brought into every family, every Ukrainian heart.
Bucha. Irpin. Borodyanka. Mass graves. Hostomel. The “Mriya”. Kharkiv. Mykolaiv. The regional administration building. The Kakhovka dam. Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Kremenchuk and Kryvyi Rih. Ternopil and Lviv. Olenivka. Chasiv Yar. Kyiv. “Okhmatdyt”. Kramatorsk. The train station. A toy. Mariupol. The Drama Theater. The word “Children” written outside. Odesa. An apartment building. A little girl. Three months old. Vilnyansk. A maternity ward. A newborn. Two days old… Men do not fight like this. Humans do not do this. Ukrainians will not forget. And let everyone who still has no conscience pressing on them see these images — everyone who continues to extend a hand to Russian evil and continues to buy oil from Putin.
But throughout this time we have not allowed anger to eat us from within — Ukrainians turn their fury into energy for the fight and prove: you can make us go into shelters, but you cannot bury Ukraine underground forever. We will rise, inevitably, we will return, we continue to fight, because we fight for life. For the right to stand on our land, to breathe our own air. And Ukraine knows these feelings well — when, despite everything, after the all-clear, we rise back up, and when hope rises from the bomb shelter with us, and flies toward the sky every time the Ukrainian flag rises — when it returned and keeps returning to where it belongs by right.
And this is the next important stage of our struggle — when Ukraine not only withstood and holds the defense, but when Ukraine strikes back. When history was made by entire cities. Hero cities. Cities of heroes. That moved forward. There were the first offensives, the first successes, and something unforgettable: the first eyes — the eyes of Ukrainians who lived to see their own. Balakliia, Izium, Kupiansk, Kherson. And everyone saw how the occupiers were driven out of Kyiv region, driven out of Sumy region, Chernihiv region. And everyone learned about the Ukrainian teleporter sending enemies to the other world — Chornobaivka. Saw how Russian ultimatums became “gestures of goodwill.” How Zmiinyi Island became ours again.
How the word “cotton” acquired a new meaning, and how we rejoiced when the first “cotton” was heard in Russia. This is not gloating — it’s just how justice sounds in Ukrainian. It sounds like “Stuhna”, “Vilʹkha”, “Neptune”, and with the roar with which the cruiser “Moskva” went to the bottom. Back then it was an event; later — it became a tradition.
And few things warm the soul of Ukrainians as much as footage of burning military facilities of the enemy and its oil refineries. When it happened for the first time, it was huge news. Now — almost daily. And what once seemed fantastical has become normal. Patriots, IRIS-Ts, NASAMS, F-16s. And something more: our weapons, our long-range capabilities. Just think: Ukraine went from the point where we were receiving body armor to the point where we produce more than 3 million FPV drones per year. From the times when we admired Javelins and Bayraktars to the day when we have our own Sich, Hor, Vamphyr, Palyanytsia, Peklo, Ruta, Flamingo.
From pleading to close the sky to the ability to shoot down hundreds of Shaheds in a night. From anti-tank hedgehogs and fortifications in Kyiv streets to the Kursk operation and “Pavutyna”. But even this is not enough — we will do more, because Russia does not stop, unfortunately, and is waging war with every method against peace, against us, against people.
Putin understands that he cannot defeat Ukraine on the battlefield, and the “second army of the world” fights apartment buildings and power stations. And now Ukrainians endure the most difficult winter in history. And terror almost every night. And I do not know who else could withstand this — who would not collapse, would not falter. Ukrainians do. It is great fatigue, of course. What other people can do this? Despite the war, all these attacks, all the trials — defeating evil, defeating despair and hopelessness. And holding on. And holding on together.
And with all this — achieving results everywhere. Restoring after attacks each time. Replenishing our air defense with missiles each time. Going to work every morning. Holding positions constantly. Speaking to the world as equals. Securing EU candidate status, bringing home thousands of our prisoners. And turning every international platform — from Davos to the UN — into a pro-Ukrainian one. Making Ukraine’s voice loud around the world, winning Eurovision, taking the Oscar and the BAFTA, being absolute world boxing champions, and proving that Ukrainians have honor of the highest standard — far more valuable than any gold from that spineless IOC.
And from every such act, from all such steps, achievements, and small victories, a great Ukraine is formed. Great because it has you. People who inspire the planet. We remember how the first foreign leaders arrived in Ukraine at the beginning of this war. And the term “official visit” does not convey even a fraction of what those meetings meant to us. We understood who is truly our brother and friend, who did not fear, did not hesitate, who kept their name and did not worry about angering Putin. I want to thank every leader who chose the bright side of history — chose Ukraine. In Europe, the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia. Everyone, everyone who stands with us.
And I very much want to come here one day together with the President of the United States. I know for certain: only by visiting Ukraine and seeing with one’s own eyes our life and our struggle, feeling our people and this sea of pain — only then can one truly understand what this war is really about. And because of whom. Who the aggressor is here. Who must be pressured. To understand that Ukraine is defending life, that this is exactly what we are fighting for. And this is not a street fight. This is an attack by a sick state on a sovereign one — and to understand that Putin is this war. He is the reason it began, and the obstacle to its end. And it is Russia that must be put in its place so that a real peace can exist.
They say time heals. I’m not sure. At least I don’t know how much time is needed to heal all our wounds. All these painful questions — “how many?” — that burn inside.
How many tears have been cried? How many attacks, treacherous strikes? How many scars on the heart?
How many flags on our cemeteries?
How many names?
Da Vinci. Hriyenko. Dzhus. Zheka. Tykhyi. Nord. Petrychenko. Matsiyevskyi. Sailor Vitalii Skakun. Pilot Oleksandr Oksanchenko. Daria Lopatina, Delta. Lana Chornohorska, Sati. Yuliia Bereziuk. Marharyta Polovinko.
Thousands and thousands of heroes who gave their lives so that Ukraine could live.
Our warrior-defenders.
Our guardian angels.
I am certain they have already told God the whole truth about this war. About how we defend ourselves. Defend our land, our lives, our independence, our culture, our history, our Sofia, our people.
One thousand four hundred sixty-two days of full-scale war. Twelve years since the beginning of Russia’s aggression. For someone — an entire lifetime. Undoubtedly, we all want the war to end. But no one will allow Ukraine to end. We want peace. Strong, dignified, lasting.
And before every round of negotiations I give our team very clear directives. These always come as classified decrees, but I will certainly not reveal state secrets if I share my main message: not to erase these years, not to devalue all the struggle, courage, dignity — everything that Ukraine has gone through.
It is impossible — impossible — to give this up, to forget it, to betray it.
That is precisely why there are so many negotiation rounds, and a battle for every word, for every point, for real security guarantees so that the agreement is strong.
History is watching us closely.
The agreement must not simply be signed; it must be accepted — accepted by Ukrainians.
Dear people!
The strength that has carried us through all these years is you — our people.
Our resistance is you. Ukrainians. Ukrainian women and men. Everyone who does not give up.
Our eyes may be tired, but our backs remain unbroken.
I want to thank each and every one of you who carries independence on your shoulders.
Every warrior — for strength.
Your parents, children, wives, husbands — for endurance.
I thank all who, through their work, make Ukraine stronger.
Who bring light and warmth back to our homes.
Who heal, who volunteer, who teach.
And who study — at university or at school — and learn the most important thing: to be human, to be Ukrainian.
I am proud of you. I believe in each and every one of you.
In all of you — to whom, without the slightest exaggeration, I have the honor to address: the great people of a great Ukraine.
Looking back at the beginning of the invasion and at today, we have every right to say: we defended independence, we did not lose statehood. Ukraine exists — and not only on the map. Ukraine is a subject of international relations.
Our capital stands, and so do Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kramatorsk, Odesa, Lviv, and other cities.
Putin has not achieved his goals.
He has not broken the Ukrainians.
He has not won this war.
We have preserved Ukraine, and we will do everything to achieve peace. And to ensure justice.
Less than a week remains until spring.
We are overcoming the most difficult winter in our history.
That is a fact. And it is very hard.
Hard for all of you.
But just as on the first day of the war, we continue to build our tomorrow — step by step, task by task, achievement by achievement.
And every result, every success, every time we can say “Ukraine did it” — this is the merit of all of you. The Ukrainian people.
Glory to Ukraine!
ians! Dear fellow citizens!
