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Zelensky's address to Ukraine last night was incredibly powerful

Zelensky's address to Ukraine last night was incredibly powerful
Sean Penn was 'endlessly impressed and moved' by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Independent

Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky's latest address to Ukraine makes for powerful reading.

Speaking on Sunday night, the politician vowed to punish “every b**tard’” who committed atrocities during the invasion of Ukraine and said the west is not doing enough to stop Putin in his tracks.

His message comes the conflict enters its 12th day with the United Nations estimating that 1.3 million refugees have fled the country for safety.

Ukraine is to ask the United Nations’ top court to issue an emergency ruling requiring Russia to stop its invasion, arguing that Moscow’s justification for the attack is based on a faulty interpretation of genocide law, Reuters reports and another round of peace talks between the warring countries is also expected.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has pledged to send more defensive equipment and $100m to help Ukraine.

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Here's what Zelensky said in full:

"Ukrainians!

Today is Forgiveness Sunday. A day when we always apologised. To each other. To all people. To God.

But today, it seems, many have not mentioned this day at all.

Have not mentioned the obligatory words: 'Forgive me.'

And the obligatory answer: 'God forgives, and I forgive.'

These words seem to have lost their meaning today.

At least in part.

After everything, we went through.

We will not forgive the destroyed houses.

We will not forgive the missile that our air defense shot down over Okhmatdyt today. And more than five hundred other such missiles that hit our land. All over Ukraine. Hit our people and children.

We will not forgive the shooting of unarmed people.

Destruction of our infrastructure.

We. Will. Not. Forgive.

Hundreds and hundreds of victims.

Thousands and thousands of sufferings.

And God will not forgive.

Not today. Not tomorrow. Never.

And instead of Forgiveness, there will be a Day of Judgment.

I'm sure of it.

It seems everything Russian servicemen have already done is still not enough for them.

Not enough ruined destinies. Mutilated lives.

They want to kill even more.

Tomorrow Russia has officially announced the shelling of our territory. Our enterprises. Defenxe complex.

Most were built decades ago. By the Soviet government. Built in cities.

And now they are in the middle of an ordinary urban environment.

Thousands of people work there. Hundreds of thousands live nearby.

This is murder. Deliberate murder.

And I have not heard a reaction from any world leader today. From any Western politician.

Reaction to this announcement.

Think about the sense of impunity of the invaders: they announce their planned atrocities.

Why?

Because there is no reaction. Because there is silence.

Not a word, as if Western leaders have dissolved tonight. For this day.

I hope that at least tomorrow you will notice it.

React.

Say something.

We know exactly who prepared this attack. We know exactly how orders will follow the vertical command. We know everything.

And we will not forgive anything.

The Tribunal is waiting for you. And God's judgment, if you try to hide.

The audacity of the aggressor is a clear signal to the West that sanctions against Russia are not enough.

Because they didn't understand. Did not feel. They did not see that the world is really determined.

Really determined to stop this war.

You will not hide from this reality.

You will not hide from new murders in Ukraine.

There was a lot of talk about humanitarian corridors. There were talks every day about the opportunity for people to leave the cities where Russia came. Russian military.

I am grateful to every Ukrainian who stays to defend our cities, even in the encirclement.

Our freedom.

But I also know that there are people who really need to get out. Who cannot stay.

And we heard the promise that there would be humanitarian corridors.

But there are no humanitarian corridors.

Instead of humanitarian corridors, they can only make bloody ones.

A family was killed in Irpen today.

A man, a woman and two children.

Right on the road.

As in the shooting club.

When they were just trying to get out of town. To escape.

The whole family.

How many such families have died in Ukraine!

We will not forgive.

We will not forget.

We will punish everyone who committed atrocities in this war. On our land.

We will find every b**tard.

Which shot at our cities, our people. Which bombed our land. Which launched rockets.

Which gave the order and pressed 'start'.

There will be no quiet place on this earth for you.

Except for the grave.

Today I decided to award orders to the heads of regional administrations and mayors who have excelled in the defense of their communities.

The Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the Third Degree is awarded to:

Head of Kharkiv Regional State Administration Oleh Vasyliovych Syniehubov.

Head of Mykolaiv Regional State Administration Vitalii Oleksandrovych Kim.

Head of Donetsk Regional State Administration Pavlo Oleksandrovych Kyrylenko.

Head of Luhansk Regional State Administration Serhiy Volodymyrovych Haidai.

Head of Chernihiv Regional State Administration Vyacheslav Anatoliyovych Chaus.

Head of Sumy Regional State Administration Dmytro Oleksiyovych Zhyvytskyi.

The Order of Courage is awarded to:

Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Oleksandrovych Terekhov.

Mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Fedorovych Senkevych.

Mayor of Chernihiv Vladyslav Anatoliyovych Atroshenko.

Mayor of Sumy Oleksandr Mykolayovych Lysenko.

Mayor of Kherson Ihor Viktorovych Kolykhayev.

Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Serhiyovych Fedorov.

Mayor of Nova Kakhovka Volodymyr Ivanovych Kovalenko.

And I decided to award a special title to our heroes, our hero cities. As it has already been once. When we withstood another attack. But a similar attack.

Another invasion. But no less brutal invasion.

Hero cities will be:

Kharkiv.

Chernihiv.

Mariupol.

Kherson.

Hostomel.

Volnovakha.

Glory to Ukraine!"

And here's what people made of it:

The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.

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