Heroyam slava.
Thank you so much.
Dear ladies and gentlemen of Canada, before I start, I just want to remind you of one thing. This thing is very important to understand for both Ukraine and Canada. It is what we are up to and what we need to do and do together.
In 1983, the city of Edmonton's history was closely linked to the destiny of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Canadian community. In Edmonton, the first monument in the world to the victims of the Holodomor was built. It was built to remember the genocide against the Ukrainian people, the genocide ordered and perpetrated by Moscow. It was the first-ever Holodomor monument in the world. At the time, Ukraine did not yet have memorials commemorating the victims of the genocide of Ukrainians because Ukraine was under Moscow's control back then. This fall will mark the 40th anniversary since that first and very important commemoration of the victims of the Holodomor.
A lot has changed since then. Ukraine gained independence. Ukraine is restoring its own historic memory. Dozens of other countries' parliaments and governments have already recognized the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people. This year alone there have been 11 such recognitions, and I am sure the world, the whole world, will recognize the truth about the Holodomor.
However, there is something that has not changed either in 40 years since the monument in Edmonton was built or in the 90 years since the Holodomor: Moscow now, as always, is bent on controlling Ukraine and makes use of all available means to do that, including genocide. It is a genocide what Russian occupiers are doing to Ukraine. When we want to win, when we call on the world to support us, it is not just about an ordinary conflict; it is about saving the lives of millions of people, literally the physical salvation of ordinary women, men, children, our families, whole communities and entire cities.
Russia's destruction of Mariupol, Volnovakha, Bakhmut or any other city or village in Ukraine must not go unpunished. Life and justice must prevail everywhere in Ukraine and for all Ukrainians. This Russian aggression must end with our victory so that Russia will never bring back genocide to Ukraine and will never, ever try to do so. Moscow must lose once and for all, and it will lose.
Dear Speakers, the whole Parliament of Canada, dear Justin, Mr. Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen of the government, dear representatives of all the communities and cities, and all citizens of Canada, in my opinion, one of the most sterling qualities of your country is that justice is not an empty word for Canada. Another extremely important fact about you is that you never ever make a political bet on hatred and enmity, and you are always on the bright side of history.
During the First World War and in the time between those terrible wars, and during the Second World War and the Cold War, you always defended freedom; you always defended justice. I had no doubt that you would choose the side of freedom and justice when Russia launched a full-scale war again Ukraine, but it is never enough only to choose the right side. You also need to be able to be a leader on this side, and you are. You are a leader, and I thank you for that, Canada.
Thank you very much for your political support for Ukraine. This is truly support of a leader, and it is global in scale. When you are fighting for something, when you are fighting for good in human nature, false neutrality looks obviously immoral. One sees that true leaders, while the others are afraid to be real, to speak out or to fight, have only two options: to change or to be looked down on. I thank you, Canada, for being a real example of leadership and honesty for so many around the world, an example that inspires others to defend life.
Canada's support for Ukraine with weapons and equipment has allowed us to save thousands of lives. This includes air defence systems, armoured vehicles, artillery shells and very significant assistance in demining. Thank you so much.
Canada's leadership in sanctions against Russia for this war on terror really encouraged others in the world to follow your lead. I am especially grateful for your extremely strong, 100% leadership support of the Ukrainian movement to NATO. Your strong participation in training our soldiers, which is very important, is already a tradition. Canada trains those who defend the world: thousands and thousands of pilots during the Second World War, and thousands of Ukrainians now. Training is what makes victory strong and makes victory indispensable. Thank you for this.
Thank you for your economic support, for helping Ukraine get rid of its dependence on Russian nuclear fuel. This is progress not only for us. Ukraine and Canada, together with their partners and friends, are demonstrating to everyone that it is quite realistic to completely cut off our ties with dubious Russian nuclear technologies, in addition to being purely technological danger.
The Russian nuclear industry also serves Moscow's political expansion. Russia uses nuclear technology and the construction of nuclear power plants, like gas and oil, for political attacks against the sovereignty of other nations. Russia is trying to break the sovereignty of others through its manipulation of energy resources, all energy resources, so the more nations that are free from Russian energy resources, the sooner energy in the world will once again become just an energy resource, not a weapon against sovereigntists.
Another important area of our co-operation is literally justice. Today, in talks with Prime Minister Justin, we discussed the Canadian initiative for the G7 to set up efforts to confiscate Russian assets. Those funds that Russia and its henchmen use to pay for their war should be used to fairly compensate for the damage caused by war and terror.
Active and global work is also required to bring Russia to justice for the crime of aggression itself, and for absolutely all crimes from this aggression: all deaths, every deportation of every child, every adult. Every life needs to be protected and every attacked nation needs justice to rule. The world needs it too so that other potential aggressors can see that war ends in verdicts for the aggressor. I urge you, Canada, to extend your ability to lead other countries, especially in the matter of justice, of prosecuting the aggression, of compensation for aggression, of making the aggressor feel how strong justice is.
Most of all, I would like to thank you, Canada, for the purely human thing: for making Ukrainians feel at home when they are here in Canada. Thank you. This is not just a legacy of history; this is a legacy of character.
The Ukrainian Canadian community is about millions of Ukrainian destinies that have become the destiny of Canada, with all its diversity of communities, freedom, love, courage, our special innate call for justice, the ability of our people to share comfort wherever they go and to build and create, not to ruin or humiliate. Ukrainian flags in Canada are a part of everyday life as an absolute trust to Canada in Ukraine. In fact, such proximity provides many answers, including answers to questions about this war. Can we give up? No. Can we betray the good in human nature? No. Can we agree with evil? No. Can we allow our identity to be erased? No. Ukraine and Canada are the same. We stand and we fight for life.
Ukraine, not genocide, will be victorious in this war. People will be the winners, not the Kremlin. Freedom will be the winner. Justice will be the winner. You can know this for sure about us because you know it for sure about yourselves, that you would never submit to evil.
Thank you, Canada.
One day soon a monument will be built, maybe in Edmonton, as they will be in other cities of the world and in the cities of Ukraine, to honour the victory of our people in this war, our common victory with you, the people of Canada, with all your communities and your legacy of good.
Ladies and gentlemen, today my beautiful first lady and I had the honour of meeting with the Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Hon. Mary Simon, and she taught me a word from her mother tongue: ajuinnata. She said the meaning of this word is, “Don't give up. Stay strong against all odds”, and so shall it be. Ajuinnata, Canada. Ajuinnata, Ukraine.
Slava Ukraini.
[Applause]