Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during events commemorating those killed in the January Uprising of 1863–1864 that the freedom of Europe’s peoples is possible only through unity and strength. He stressed that Russia’s aggression is a continuation of an imperial policy that has threatened the region for centuries.
Speaking in Vilnius, Zelenskyy said the January Uprising confirmed the shared destiny of Ukrainians, Poles, Lithuanians and Belarusians, and that independence can only be achieved together. According to him, Europe once again faces a choice between freedom and dependence, and any delay has real consequences.
The president noted that due to insufficient support in 2020, Belarus remains dependent on Moscow, creating additional threats to Ukraine and Europe as a whole. He said Russian attacks on Ukraine are carried out, among other things, from Belarusian territory, while the country’s industry and logistics support the war.
Zelenskyy stated that indifference by the international community in the past led to large-scale wars, and that Russia’s current aggression against Ukraine is the result of mistakes and compromises with the Kremlin over previous decades. He emphasized that Europe must act decisively and systematically, without postponing security to the future.
The president also thanked countries supporting Ukraine, including Poland, Lithuania, the Baltic states, Northern and Central European countries, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Japan. He said the current unity of Europe and its partners is unprecedented and must be fully effective.
Concluding his speech, Zelenskyy said that Europe’s peoples are free and will remain free, and that freedom must be defended not only by words but by concrete actions. He added that Russia historically loses because it stands against peoples, cultures and human dignity.