Standing ovation for Ukraines Zelensky after rousing House of Commons speech

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday delivered a video address to the UK House of Commons, declaring, “We will fight to the end,” mimicking former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s iconic wartime speech.

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“We will not give up and we will not lose. We will fight until the end at sea, in the air. We will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost, ” he said in his statements, which were translated by an interpreter.

Quoting from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the 44-year-old Ukrainian leader said, “To be or not to be – thirteen days ago this question could have been asked about Ukraine, but now, absolutely not. It is obvious, we will be. It is obvious, we will be free.”

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Zelensky also thanked UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and encouraged the parliament to increase sanctions against Russia and identify it as a terrorist state. He reaffirmed his proposal to NATO for the establishment of a no-fly zone above Ukraine, pleading with Britain to find a solution to make the “Ukrainian skies safe.”

“Do what you can, what you have to, what the greatness of your country and your people obliges you to,” he added.

He slammed NATO for failing to offer what Ukrainians were “looking for.”

“I don’t want to offend anyone, but we felt the alliances are not working, they can’t even close the skies. So there is a need to rebuild European security from zero,” Zelensky said.

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The Ukrainian president also utilised a portion of his remarks to illustrate how Russia’s invasion of the country has progressed.

“I would like to tell you about the 13 Days of War. The war that we didn’t start, and we didn’t want it,” he told British parliamentarians.

“We do not want to lose what we have, which is ours, our country, Ukraine,” he said, adding “Just the same way as you once didn’t want to lose your country… And you had to fight for Britain.” 

At the conclusion of his speech, Zelensky received a standing ovation from the House of Commons.