World leaders gave speeches for the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin speaks from Moscow and accuses the West. US President Joe Biden, in Kyiv, renews support for the attacked country. President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasizes the resistance of Ukrainian citizens after a year of war.
Putin
«This Presidential Address comes, as we all know, at a difficult, watershed period for our country. This is a time of radical, irreversible change in the entire world, of crucial historical events that will determine the future of our country and our people, a time when every one of us bears a colossal responsibility». Vladimir Putin spoke in front of the Federal Assembly in Moscow for an hour and forty-five minutes, delivering his longest annual speech on the state of the nation.
In 2022, the President of Russia skipped the speech, but in 2023 he delivered it during the week of the anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, a topic that Putin addressed. «One year ago, to protect the people in our historical lands, to ensure the security of our country and to eliminate the threat coming from the neo-Nazi regime that had taken hold in Ukraine after the 2014 coup, it was decided to begin the special military operation. Step by step, carefully and consistently we will deal with the tasks we have at hand».
The Russian President blamed the West for the situation, portraying the Federation as the savior of oppressed peoples: «Let me reiterate that they were the ones who started this war, while we used force and are using it to stop the war».
Biden
«While the world prepares to commemorate the brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, I am in Kyiv to meet with President Zelensky and reaffirm our unwavering and unconditional commitment to democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine». The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, was expected in Warsaw, Poland, for the first year since the outbreak of the war, but made a detour: a surprise visit to Kyiv to meet with President Zelensky.
In the Ukrainian capital, the American head of state delivered a speech to reiterate the US and allied nations’ support for the invaded country, announcing a new delivery of essential equipment and new sanctions. «When Putin launched his invasion almost a year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided. He thought he could beat us. But he was enormously mistaken».
Zelensky
«A year of full-scale war, a year of our invincibility, which was a response to the Kremlin’s illusion of “three days for Kyiv”… A year!» The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, delivered a speech to his citizens during «the ninth anniversary of the most horrific days of Maidan, the anniversary of the beginning of Russian aggression against our country, when there was very little time left before the occupation of our Crimea. And now, nine years later, we are more confident than ever that justice will be served».
The speech coincided with the surprise visit of US President Joe Biden, who reiterated the Western support for Ukraine, and the beginning of the week of the anniversary of the outbreak of the war. «The aggressor state, which has consistently been moving towards becoming a terrorist state, will be held accountable for its crimes. It will be held accountable thanks to the efforts of Ukraine and all our partners, the entire free world, and all those who are now helping us to defend our independence, freedom, and international law and order. We will prevail in this historic confrontation».
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