Speech by the President at the Global Security Forum
Ladies and gentlemen!
Thank you for inviting me to the GLOBSEC forum this year – in a time of big changes and important decisions, ones that will affect people’s lives and how we think about security for years to come.
Really, twelve days ago, we completed the final stage of our operation called, as I said, “Spiderweb.” Probably no one in this room missed it. Inexpensive drones – part of a low-cost operation by Ukraine’s Security Service – hit something very, very expensive for Russia, in every sense of the word – strategic bombers at distant military airfields. And it was a completely legitimate operation targeting the very aircraft Russia used to terrorize our country and to send a message of threat to NATO. And these were not just similar strategic bombers, but the exact same ones Russia had used to simulate missile strikes on NATO territory. In total, as I said, 41 Russian military aircraft were destroyed or heavily damaged – and all of this happened almost live, for the world to see. And it clearly shows how the technologies of war are changing. Ten years ago, such a strike would have been unimaginable. Today, we can’t even imagine what kind of strikes a country might be able to carry out 10 years from now. But one principle is clear – no country can afford to stay behind in technological development when it comes to security.
Here’s another example. Statistics. Today, on June 12, in the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, our military has recorded more than one million Russian casualties – killed and wounded. This is the price Putin and those like him are willing to pay for their sick geopolitical fantasies. A million losses – and still, they are doing everything to avoid ending this war. They even ignore the United States and President Trump, who have repeatedly called for a ceasefire and an end to the killings.
Russia doesn’t really care about such human losses. What they do worry about are harsh sanctions, especially those against Russian oil, including a new price cap. That’s what really threatens them – because it could cut off their funding for war and force them to seek peace. And they’re also concerned about sanctions on the banking sector, and about political isolation – when Moscow is not invited to international forums, and about new joint defense efforts between Ukraine and our partners in Europe and around the world. Russia is worried about money, about so-called “prestige” in foreign policy, and about our resistance. But they are not concerned about the lives of a million of their own people. And I ask you to see this not just as another fact about dictatorships like Russia, North Korea, or Iran – but as a security challenge to all of us.
We have to confront those who treat human life as worthless, just as we defend our own safety. This fight isn’t limited to Europe; it matters in every region nearby. When life means nothing to those in charge, then no crime is off the table – not even full-scale aggression.
We now have very clear priorities.
First, I want to thank Czechia for its initiative on ammunition supplies. It clearly showed that united efforts can really make a difference in modern warfare.
We must strengthen all the forms of defense cooperation – especially those that help us become more and more technologically advanced and use drones of every kind – in the air, on land, and at sea. Ukraine is ready to increase drone production by 40% in the near future, already this year. Our factories have the capacity, what we lack is financing. And this must be addressed. And I urge your countries to treat drone production with the same urgency and attention that we do. We must all be faster in drones than our enemies.
Next.
We should be realistic about those who brought war to Europe. You can’t talk Russia into peace. But there are forms of pressure that hurt those in charge. I ask you to support a serious increase in sanctions against Russia. Our goal must be to significantly reduce Russia’s oil income and financial capabilities. If Russian oil sells for no more than $30 a barrel, suddenly Moscow will start sounding peaceful. And we must shut down all the loopholes helping to fund the Russian federal budget. We need to apply enough pressure to force at least a real ceasefire. Without pressure, this will not happen.
And one more thing.
We should remember that respect for human life is not just a moral value, it’s a security factor. That’s why our joint policy must include support for those who value life – and restrictions on those who show contempt for it. This can only be done at the level of all Europe and the Euro-Atlantic community. Only together we are strong enough to defend our way of life and life itself. So I ask you to support decisions that do not leave behind European nations that deserve to be in the EU and NATO. This includes Ukraine. Moldova. Balkan nations and others. Everyone deserves fair decisions. And I urge you to back every initiative that strengthens the global weight of the EU and NATO. Because only through real unity we can set the security conditions for our neighbors – conditions that make them safe for us, and force them to act in ways that do not threaten anyone, including themselves.
Thank you for your attention. Thanks for the invitation. Thank you for your support.
Glory to Ukraine!
