President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on partners to keep up the pressure on Russia in order to force it to end the war.

He said this in his address marking Ukraine’s Independence Day.

“We must be united and see this through to the end. Ukraine, Europe, America, the world. I am glad that the United States has lost every illusion about whether Russia really wants to end this war. I believe that America will shed all its contradictions and phobias about Russia. The Russians have to be brought to the negotiating table. We finally need sanctions that will make them howl. Ukraine has to be given everything that will force them to end the war. And that is possible,” the head of state said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy recalled that everything now defending Ukraine was first called impossible, then very difficult, then something that could not be done quickly. And then America took a decision, and it worked.

“We are not asking anyone to fight for us. Give Ukraine everything it needs to stop this war, to stop it before Putin has time to start the next one. To prevent that, we have to act together. Europe has to be Europe — united, ambitious, bold. China can no longer stay silent. When someone dresses up in a sailor’s uniform and forage cap and, mispronouncing certain words, talks about a nuclear strike, China has to respond, has to cool things down. China has to prove its ambition to be one of the world’s leaders — not only economically and technologically, but as a civilisation — by making clear that no dictators should threaten the planet with their old warheads,” the President of Ukraine stressed.