"Strong people of our most courageous country!"

All our defenders and defenderesses!

The third month of our defense has already passed. This is a great period.

A period that the world's leading intelligence services did not anticipate. Even our enemies did not consider this possible. And it is what prompts the world to look at our land, at Ukraine, in an entirely different way.

This has been three months of war crimes by Russian occupiers. Three months of their attacks, destructions, blockades. And three months of mass feats by our people who are defending their own land and their own country.

15 thousand 227 Ukrainians have been awarded state honors. Among them are 12 thousand 550 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 1801 National Guard soldiers, 205 border guards, 182 police officers, 167 State Security Service employees, 138 representatives of the State Emergency Service, 99 soldiers from the Main Intelligence Directorate, and 38 employees of the State Special Communications. Also — employees of the State Border Guard Service, Foreign Intelligence Service, NABU, DBR, and Judicial Protection Service who have also contributed to our defense.

155 Ukrainians have been awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, with 75 being posthumous. 1016 populated places in Ukraine have already been deoccupied.

And each of these figures is a story. A story of extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice.

This is the heroic defense of Mariupol. This is success in battles for Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv. This is the heroic defense on the Donbas. This is the protection of Odesa, Mykolaiv, and all our south.

This is protest and resistance in those cities and communities of Ukraine that we still need to liberate.

We must always remember that we have held out for these three months thanks to the tens of thousands of feats by all who defend the state. And at the cost of tens of thousands of lives of Ukrainians, taken by occupiers.

Eternal glory to all who gave their life for Ukraine!

Today, another absolutely inappropriate statement came from Russia about how they allegedly deliberately «slow down» offensive actions. Well, after three months of searching for an explanation as to why they failed to break Ukraine in three days, they have come up with nothing better than to claim that this was supposedly their plan all along.

Almost 30 thousand dead Russian soldiers. Over 200 shot down planes. Thousands of lost Russian tanks, armored vehicles and other equipment. Almost completely spent stockpile of Russian missiles. And they want to cover it up with lies that they are not fighting at full strength? Pathetic. And the time will come when they themselves will admit this.

Currently, the situation in Donbas is extremely difficult. In fact, all remaining might of the Russian army has been thrown into an offensive there. Lyman, Popasna, Severodonetsk, Sloviansk — occupiers want to destroy everything there.

But from their intercepted communications we hear that they clearly understand: this war makes no sense for Russia, and strategically their army has no chance. But time and a great deal of extraordinary effort by our people are needed to turn the tide in terms of quantity of equipment and weaponry.

I am grateful to all partners of Ukraine who help us. But I emphasize again: the longer this war lasts, the higher will be the price for defending freedom not only for Ukraine but also for the entire free world.

Therefore, supplying Ukraine with heavy weapons — multiple rocket launchers, tanks, anti-ship and other types of weaponry — is the best investment in maintaining stability in the world and preventing many harsh crises that Russia still plans or has already provoked.

We continue to work on ensuring Ukraine secure guarantees of security after this war. In particular, an international advisory group led by Yermak and former NATO Secretary General Rasmussen is being created. The group will include leading experts in the fields of security and defense, diplomacy. Their task — to develop a guarantee format that really works. And not for several months or years but throughout the lives of many generations of our Ukrainians.

I spoke today with President of the European Council Charles Michel. At the end of May, an important meeting of the European Council dedicated to helping Ukraine will take place. So we coordinated positions. In particular, on strengthening sanctions against Russia.

Also spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Mainly about military support for Ukraine. About further political cooperation and providing our country comprehensive aid, especially financial, which is so necessary to overcome the occupiers.

Held a meeting with leaders of our Crimean direction policy. In particular with Tatyana Tkachova, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

Russian aggression started from Crimea. This was not the first mistake by the Russian state regarding Ukraine but it was a painful one for Russia itself. From this point onward came subsequent mistakes that will lead to Russia's historical weakening. And, of course, occupiers will have to leave Crimea as well.

Just like from Kherson, Melitopol, Enerhodar, Mariupol and all other cities and communities where they still pretend to be masters. Masters they are not.

I am grateful to everyone who is helping bring this time of liberation closer.

Grateful to all our military personnel, intelligence officers, border guards, sappers, rescuers, doctors, nurses, police, National Guard members, communications specialists, diplomats, volunteers, journalists. To all those ensuring logistics. To all organizing evacuation. To all restoring life in liberated territories. To all continuing to teach schoolchildren and students. To everyone who is preserving business, thus providing jobs for our citizens. To all working, saving, helping, and advancing Ukrainian interests around the world.

I am grateful to everyone who decided on February 24th to be with Ukraine.

We will definitely win!

Glory to Ukraine!"