Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky received a standing ovation from MPs after addressing the House of Commons in a video call on Tuesday.
Zelensky [pictured] thanked the UK for its support of Ukraine since Russia’s military assault began on his country, and invoked one of Winston Churchill’s wartime speeches of 1940, which he said addressed issues that had “become current again”.
In response, UK prime minister Boris Johnson said that Zelensky had “moved the hearts of everybody” and promised that Western allies would continue “tightening the economic vice” around the Kremlin.
Johnson said: “At this moment, ordinary Ukrainians are defending their homes and their families against a brutal assault, and they are by their actions inspiring millions with their courage and their devotion.
“I think today, one of the proudest boasts in the free world is, 'Ya Ukrainets' - 'I am a Ukrainian'.”
During his address, Zelensky also called on the West to do more to help Ukraine by ensuring “our skies are safe” and called on allies to name Russia a “terrorist state” for what it had done.
“We still have the sky open; it is still open to Russian missiles planes and helicopters,” he said.
Zelensky told the Commons that his nation had been left to fight a war that it “didn’t start and didn’t want” in self-defence, in the same way that the UK had been forced to in the Second World War.
He said: “We do not want to lose what we have, what is ours... just the same way as you once didn't want to lose your country when the Nazis started to fight your country and you had to fight for Britain.”
Reciting Churchill’s speech, Zelensky then said: “We will not surrender, we will not lose, we will go to the end.
“We will fight at sea, we will fight in the air, we will protect our land.
“We will fight everywhere… and we will not surrender.”
Proceeding to paraphrase William Shakespeare, Zelensky continued: “To be or not to be. You know the Shakespeare question very well. Thirteen days and that question still could have applied to Ukraine.
“But now, already, it is obvious it is 'to be' - it is obvious it is to be free.”
Zelensky’s speech concluded with an appeal to MPs: “Do what you can, do what you must, because greatness obliges greatness, of your state and your people.
“Glory to Ukraine and glory to Great Britain.”
The address was greeted warmly by leaders of opposition parties as well as the PM, with Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer praising Zelensky’s bravery and resolve and calling on the UK to continue to show Ukraine its “commitment and support.”
Sir Keir continued: “Invading troops march through [Zelensky's] streets, shells reign down on his people, and assassins seek his life. No-one would have blamed him for fleeing. But instead, he has stayed in Kyiv to lead the Ukrainian people and to fight.
“Labour stands with president Zelensky, with Ukraine, with democracy. Slava Ukraini.”
The SNP’s leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, said that his party stood “with the people of Ukraine” and urged government and the West to continue to supply Ukrainian defensive forces, turn up the heat of sanctions against the Putin regime, and send a clear message that he will face justice for war crimes.
Blackford told MPs: “We must do all that we can to send support to Ukraine, to send the weapons that they need to defend themselves, to make sure that we sanction the regime in Moscow, that we deliver the clearest message to president Putin - that this will end in failure for him, that he will face justice at the international court.”
Image taken from Wikimedia Commons
