Russia cannot win in Europe when a Ukrainian and a Pole stand side by side – Zelensky

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has delivered a speech before the deputies of both chambers of the National Assembly, representatives of the public of Ukraine and Poland on Royal Castle Square in Warsaw.

The full text of the speech is provided below:

Greetings, Warsaw!

Greetings, Poland!

Great Polish people! Great Ukrainian people! Side by side here - united on this square, by the spirit of freedom, great history and glorious victory, which we are bringing closer together!

We know each other, Ukrainians and Poles, and have known each other for a long time. And now, in the heart of the Polish capital, Ukrainian hearts turn to each of the Polish hearts.

It is an honor for me to be here. I speak to you with words of gratitude and strength. Gratitude, because there are no such moments anymore when we would be divided, when we would not be united. Ukrainian and Polish hearts are fighting for one freedom, for the mutual independence of our states, for our native Europe - our common home, and we will be victorious!

There is no such force that would prevail over the Ukrainian and Polish brotherhood. And this will make the following words come true:

"What a foreign force has taken from us, we shall take back with a saber."

We will prevail, brothers, everywhere, on our side.

Every time the Ukrainian flag returns to its absolutely legal place on Ukrainian soil, and the Russian occupier flees, the Polish flag also gets stronger.

Yellow-blue and white-red - these four colors are stronger than the enemy's tricolor.

Every successful battle of Ukrainian heroes for our independent state adds protection to Polish independence. Polish "Krabs" and "Pioruns" in the hands of Ukrainians, who return freedom to our people, reinforce your freedom as well.

This is what our ability, Ukrainians and Poles, to build our victorious history side by side means. And I am grateful for this brotherhood to every Pole!

Bow to you, Poland! Applause for you, Polish people!

I am grateful to you, friend Andrzej, Mr. President. To your wife Agata. I am honored to be here today with my wife.

Thank you, dear Mateusz, Mr. Prime Minister.

Thank you, Mrs. Marshal and Mr. Marshal.

To all Polish leaders here in Warsaw and everywhere in the communes, and to the people of Poland who know what our freedom means to your freedom. I am grateful to all of you who are now on this square and who hear me all over Poland!

Today, I was on Marszałek Piłsudski Square, next to the place where the words of a great man and a great Pole, John Paul II, were spoken in 1979. Turning to God, he said: "May Your Spirit descend and renew the face of the earth! Of this land!"

Today it is obvious how generous the Lord was when he heard these words.

Free Poland has risen and will never fall. Free Ukraine has risen and will never fall.

The foreign power, which sought to control our people and did not understand what we were striving for, simply fell apart. And we - we stand together! Side by side. Ukraine and Poland, and Europe, and the free world.

We stand when the full-scale forces of aggression are thrown again against our freedom. Well, this regime, which unleashed a war against us, will also fall. It brought graves to Ukraine, so that later he would bring graves again to Poland, and to all our brothers and sisters of free Europe. And we are fighting. Side by side!

It brought deportations to Ukrainians in order to deport others again, whose freedom breathes on the lands that Russia is going to steal. And we defend ourselves. Side by side!

The enemy wanted to bury our independence and to dissolve our national cultures in the Russian space. And we stand strong! You and us, Ukrainians and Poles, together, side by side, will return all this evil with an epitaph to Russian imperialism.

You and us, Poland, side by side will establish freedom in Europe forever. Tyranny will lose in history when it loses in Ukraine. Moscow will not kill, and Petersburg will not divide. Never again.

On this glorious square and on any other Polish square, as well as on all Ukrainian maidans, there will never be Russia again - after our victory.

Are there still many steps to it? No. It is only necessary not to stop in solidarity. When a battle requires artillery, it should be provided. When victory requires tanks, their roar must be heard on the frontline. When independence needs air, you shouldn’t pay attention to how Russia will react to our planes, you shouldn’t guess which number will look safer next to the letter F - 16 or some other. You should take action!

Take action in the same way as your leadership manifested itself in the tank coalition, I believe that it will also manifest itself in the aviation coalition. Because this is a battle for freedom, and it is impossible to win it partially.

When our ally, a powerful ally of freedom, President Biden spoke in Warsaw recently, he said: “There is no sweeter word than freedom. There is no nobler goal than freedom. There is no higher aspiration than freedom."

We, Ukrainians and Poles, are well aware of this. Therefore, there is no such issue between us that we will not solve in order to strengthen our common defense. Therefore, this visit of mine, negotiations here in Warsaw, became another step towards victory. And I thank you for the decisions approved today! For a powerful defense package. Thank you for the lives that we save with our solidarity together!

Dear Polish people!

I am sure you know that solidarity now covers much more than the fate of our two peoples. When you and us are free, it is a guarantee that freedom will be strong in all our countries - neighbors in the European Union. Romania and Slovakia, Lithuania and other Baltic countries... Everyone is stronger when we are free. When we are free, it is a guarantee that freedom will endure in Moldova, will not leave Georgia and will come... will definitely come to Belarus.

The more freedom we have around us, the more guarantees justice will have. That our common enemy will be held to account. Will be held to account justly - for Bykivnia and Bucha, for Katyn and Smolensk. Will be held to account to the end of his life here on earth, and forever before God.

Justice will be the historical achievement of our generations, and the way is also paved by our brotherhood. By Ukrainians and Poles walking side by side.

Polish brothers and sisters!

Just a few generations ago, everything on which our power is now based was just a task.

Jerzy Giedroyc taught that "there is no independent Poland without an independent Ukraine." This is learned.

And I would continue: Russia cannot win in Europe when a Ukrainian and a Pole stand side by side. Let's learn it.

And just as you and us, Poland, stand together in this war, we will also enjoy peace. Together! Side by side in everything. Together in the European Union, together in NATO. This is the continuation of our destiny of free nations!

We must bolster the historical understanding between our peoples with everything. Everything! Everything that we have to solve for the interests and peace of our societies must be solved. From military and political, economic and energy cooperation to the painstaking work of historians.

When we accept that human life is the highest value, we honor the memory and dignity of every person. Everyone who lived before us. Everyone who requires respect. And there should be no prohibitions here... It is our mutual and absolute respect that will bring Ukrainian and Polish culture to the world. Always! Because we were saved forever by our unity, our resolve.

Dear Rzeszów! I thank you for becoming the first rescuer city for Ukraine!

Przemyśl! Lublin! Chełm! Thank you! For reaching out to our people at a time when it was most needed!

Gdańsk and Wrocław! Katowice and Białystok! Kraków and Warsaw! Every city in Poland that has become so hospitable to our people! I thank you!

Thank you for the fact that Ukrainian children in Poland can live in respect, and Ukrainian adults received a law from the Polish state that guarantees them the same rights and opportunities that your people have!

Thank you to all the volunteers of Poland - you can make it louder for the volunteers - who help our people here, on Polish soil, and in Ukraine, even risking their lives!

Thank you to everyone who trains Ukrainian soldiers on Polish soil!

And I thank every Polish heart that speaks its prayers for Ukrainians as well!

Dear Ukrainians in Poland!

We work every day to expel the enemy from Ukraine, to restore security to all our cities and villages, so that our people who have found refuge in other countries can return home.

And I thank all of you who help the state!

Dear Poles! All Europeans!

I wish you happy upcoming Easter holidays! And I wish everyone a victory of life over aggression, a victory in the battles that are taking place now in Ukraine!

Glory to all our warriors who are fighting for our freedom!

Слава Україні! 

Chwała Polsce!