Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen!

Thank you for your attention to Ukraine and for your support for our people.

Right now, I am in Odesa, our southern city. It is our largest and most important port – and a beautiful city open to the world, which Russia desperately wanted to cut off from the sea and destroy. Odesa, like all of Ukraine, is under constant Russian missile and drone attacks. Here, more than anywhere, you can feel how much we need to protect lives. Here, and in our other cities like Dnipro, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Kyiv. In Kyiv, the rescue operation following Russia’s overnight attack from Wednesday into Thursday was completed only late yesterday evening. Our rescuers have been searching through the rubble of ordinary apartment buildings destroyed in the massive Russian strike, looking for the bodies of those who were killed. Thirty people were killed by the Russian attack. My condolences to all their families and loved ones. Nearly one hundred people were injured. It was one of the most painful and devastating nights Kyiv has seen in a long time.

Russia used many, many ballistic missiles. They had been stockpiling them for this attack. They also launched hundreds of drones, including jet-powered “shaheds.” And we are finding ways to stop “shaheds.” We consistently shoot down at least 90 percent of them – 90. But missiles are a much bigger challenge. We are finding ways to intercept cruise missiles as well. But Russia is using ballistic missiles as its final argument to keep this war going. That is where they are placing their bet. They want ballistic missiles to break our resistance and the will of the Ukrainian people.

That is why we need more air defense. It is about protecting lives every single day.

Ukraine critically needs Patriot interceptors. We all know – our partners have them. What is needed now is the political will to provide them. First and foremost, in the United States. Please help make this happen.

Yesterday, I also spoke with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Rob, I would be very grateful if you could help with this protection, with Patriot interceptors.

Today, I discussed this with Chancellor Merz as well. And we will continue working with our other partners. And, of course, with President Trump. Today is America’s Independence Day. And America, together with the free world, can help us secure our independence from Russian killers, from this terrible Russian desire to destroy human life. Please continue to speak out clearly against Russian terror and keep highlighting Ukraine’s need for air defense.

We’re also doing a lot on the battlefield and through long-range pressure on Russia to make it harder for Russia to hold our occupied territories, harder to wage this war, and harder to keep refusing negotiations. And this effort must be backed by sanctions against Russia.

Please do not reduce sanctions pressure, introduce new sanctions so Russia has fewer ways to adapt to this war and is forced to move toward negotiations. And it is especially important to put pressure on Russia’s oil sector. It simply cannot survive without free access for its oil through European seas. This is a critical route. If it is cut off, Russia will lose its ability to finance this war.

So every country that stops tankers from Russia’s shadow fleet is making a real contribution to ending this war. Europe should also have the legal tools to confiscate and sell the oil carried by the shadow fleet. The shadow fleet must not be allowed to finance Russia’s war. Strong measures like these can help bring peace closer. Please support them politically.

And the third point, which is absolutely essential: Russia’s war must never, never be normalized.

Russia is making great efforts to restore its political ties and regain political influence. It uses media pressure and works to destabilize those European voices that speak honestly about this war, that want a stronger Europe – united and at peace – and that defend our shared way of life. I am grateful to everyone who refuses to stay silent when Russia kills. To everyone who supports Ukraine and encourages others to help us protect lives. To everyone who is making Europe stronger.

So for our part, we are doing everything we can to defend Ukraine, all of Europe, and the European way of life. Please stay active. Please help us bring our people home from Russian captivity – our children, prisoners of war, civilian hostages, including three OSCE officials. And please keep helping us protect our people through your political leadership and practical decisions. Please also support our efforts for diplomacy – so that this war ends through negotiations, not through more destruction, which is exactly what Russia wants. Help make sure our air defense – our Patriot systems – never, never run out of the missiles they need. That is what saves lives.

Thank you so much. May life prevail.

Glory to Ukraine!