The war continues. Russia is sending new forces to our land to continue to destroy us, to destroy Ukrainians. We must do more to stop the war! The fi… - Volodymyr Zelenskyy

I'm sure you saw the news today that the Russian military command allegedly decided to "reduce hostilities in the directions of Kyiv and Chernihiv." Well, the same can be said about Chornobaivka — as if the Russian aviation simply decided to fly less, and the Russian military vehicles — to drive less. I am grateful to all our defenders, to all those who ensure the defense of Kyiv. It is their brave and effective actions that force the enemy to retreat in this direction. However, we should not lose vigilance. The situation has not become easier. The scale of the challenges has not diminished. The Russian army still has significant potential to continue attacks against our state. They still have a lot of equipment and enough people completely deprived of rights whom they can send to the cauldron of war. Therefore, we stay alert and do not reduce our defense efforts.

If there are real global sanctions for any sponsorship of terror, terror will lose. If the world unites whenever someone takes women hostage and kidnaps the children of another nation, terror will have no allies. If the one attacked by terrorists receives all the weapons it needs to protect its people, international law will be the only force that will determine how the world lives. And the world will live in peace. This is our common goal.

Speech by Zelensky during the celebration of Independence Day of Ukraine (24 August 2019)