Thanks very a lot. It’s an ideal honor to be right here. Mr. President, they inform me you’re over there someplace. There you’re. Thanks, Mr. President.
“Be now not afraid.” They have been the primary phrases on the first public deal with of the primary Polish pope after his election on October of 1978. They have been phrases that might come to outline Pope John Paul II. Phrases that might trade the sector.
John Paul introduced the message right here to Warsaw in his first shuttle again house as pope in June of 1979. It used to be a message in regards to the energy — the ability of religion, the ability of resilience, and the ability of the folks.
Within the face of a merciless and brutal gadget of presidency, it used to be a message that helped finish the Soviet repression within the central land and Japanese Europe 30 years in the past. It used to be a message that can triumph over the cruelty and brutality of this unjust conflict.
When Pope John Paul introduced that message in 1979, the Soviet Union dominated with an iron fist at the back of an Iron Curtain.
Then a yr later, the Unity motion took dangle in Poland. And whilst I do know he couldn’t be right here this night, we’re all thankful in The united states and all over the world for Lech Walesa.
It strikes a chord in my memory of that word of thinker Kierkegaard: “[F]aith sees very best at the hours of darkness.” And there have been darkish moments.
Ten years later, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Poland and Central and Japanese Europe would quickly be unfastened. Not anything about that struggle for freedom used to be easy or simple. It used to be an extended, painful slog fought over now not days and months, however years and a long time.
However we emerged anew within the nice struggle for freedom: a struggle between democracy and autocracy, between liberty and repression, between a rules-based order and one ruled through brute power.
On this struggle, we want to be clear-eyed. This struggle is probably not gained in days or months both. We want to metal ourselves for the lengthy combat forward.
Mr. President, Mr. High Minister, Mr. Mayor, individuals of the Parliament, prominent visitors, and the folks of Poland, and I think some other folks of Ukraine which might be right here: We’re — we’re accumulated right here on the Royal Citadel on this town that holds a sacred position within the historical past of now not simplest of Europe, however humankind’s never-ending seek for freedom.
For generations, Warsaw has stood the place liberty has been challenged and liberty has prevailed.
In truth, it used to be right here in Warsaw when a tender refugee, who fled her house nation, from Czechoslovakia, used to be beneath Soviet domination, got here again to talk and stand in team spirit with dissidents.
Her identify used to be Madeleine Korbel Albright. She turned into one of the ardent supporters of democracy on this planet. She used to be a chum with whom I served. The united states’s first lady secretary of state. She kicked the bucket 3 days in the past.
She fought her entire lifestyles for very important democratic ideas. And now, within the perennial combat for democracy and freedom, Ukraine and its persons are at the entrance strains preventing to avoid wasting their country.
And their courageous resistance is a part of a bigger combat for an very important democratic ideas that unite all unfastened other folks: the guideline of legislation; unfastened and truthful elections; the liberty to talk, to put in writing, and to collect; the liberty to worship as one chooses; freedom of the clicking.
Those ideas are very important in a unfastened society. However they have got all the time — they have got all the time been beneath siege. They’ve all the time been embattled. Each and every era has needed to defeat democracy’s mortal foes. That’s the best way of the sector — for the sector is imperfect, as we all know. The place the appetites and ambitions of a couple of without end search to dominate the lives and liberties of many.
My message to the folks of Ukraine is the message I delivered lately to Ukraine’s overseas minister and protection minister, who I consider are right here this night: We stand with you. Length.
Lately’s preventing in Kyiv and Mariupol and Kharkiv are the most recent struggle in an extended combat: Hungary, 1956; Poland, 1956, alternatively 1981; Czechoslovakia, 1968.
Soviet tanks overwhelmed democratic uprisings, however the resistance endured till in spite of everything, in 1989, the Berlin Wall and the entire partitions of Soviet domination — they fell. They fell. And the folks prevailed.
However the struggle for democracy may just now not conclude and didn’t conclude with the top of the Chilly Struggle.
During the last 30 years, the forces of autocracy have revived all around the globe. Its hallmarks are acquainted ones: contempt for the guideline of legislation, contempt for democratic freedom, contempt for the reality itself.
Lately, Russia has strangled democracy — has sought to take action somewhere else, now not simplest in its place of birth. Below false claims of ethnic team spirit, it has invalidated [sic] neighboring countries.
Putin has the gall to mention he’s “de-Nazifying” Ukraine. It’s a lie. It’s simply cynical. He is aware of that. And it’s additionally obscene.
President Zelensky used to be democratically elected. He’s Jewish. His father’s circle of relatives used to be burnt up within the Nazi Holocaust. And Putin has the audacity, like several autocrats ahead of him, to consider that would possibly will make proper.
In my very own nation, a former president named Abraham Lincoln voiced the opposing spirit to avoid wasting our Union in the middle of a civil conflict. He mentioned, “Allow us to have religion that proper makes would possibly.” “Proper makes would possibly.”
Lately, allow us to now have that religion once more. Allow us to unravel to position the power of democracies into motion to thwart the denigns [sic] of our — the designs of autocracy. Allow us to take into account that the check of this second is the check of all time.
The Kremlin needs to painting NATO expansion as an imperial mission geared toward destabilizing Russia. Not anything is farther from the reality. NATO is a defensive alliance. It hasn’t ever sought the loss of life of Russia.
Within the lead-up to the present disaster, america and NATO labored for months to have interaction Russia to avert a conflict. I met with him in particular person and talked to him again and again at the telephone.
Again and again, we presented actual international relations and urban proposals to fortify Ecu safety, improve transparency, and construct self assurance on either side.
However Putin and Russia met each and every of the proposals with disinterest in any negotiation, with lies and ultimatums. Russia used to be bent on violence from the beginning.
I do know now not all of you believed me and us after we stored pronouncing: “They will move the border. They will assault.”
Many times, he asserted, “We haven’t any hobby in conflict.” Assured he would now not transfer.
Many times pronouncing he would now not invade Ukraine.
Many times pronouncing Russian troops alongside the border have been there for “coaching” — all 180,000 of them.
There may be merely no justification or provocation for Russia’s selection of conflict. It’s an instance of one of the vital oldest of human impulses: the use of brute power and disinformation to meet a yearning for absolute energy and keep an eye on.
It’s not anything not up to an immediate problem to the rule-based global order established because the finish of Global Struggle II.
And it threatens to go back to a long time of conflict that ravaged Europe ahead of the global rule-based order used to be installed position. We can’t return to that. We can’t.
The gravity of the danger is why the reaction of the West has been so swift and so tough and so unified, unheard of, and overwhelming.
Swift and punishing prices are the one issues which might be going to get Russia to modify its direction.
Inside of days of its invasion, the West had moved collectively with sanctions to break Russia’s economic system.
Russia’s Central Financial institution is now blocked from the worldwide monetary methods, denying Kremlin’s get right of entry to to the conflict fund it stashed all over the world.
We’ve aimed on the middle of Russia’s economic system through preventing the imports of Russian power to america.
Up to now, america has sanctioned 140 Russian oligarchs and their members of the family, seizing their ill-begotten good points: their yachts, their luxurious flats, their mansions.
We’ve sanctioned greater than 400 Russian executive officers, together with key architects of this conflict.
Those officers and oligarchs have reaped monumental get pleasure from the corruption attached to the Kremlin, and now they have got to proportion within the ache.
The non-public sector is appearing as neatly. Over 400 personal multinational corporations have pulled out of doing industry in Russia — left Russia totally — from oil corporations to McDonald’s.
Because of those unheard of sanctions, the ruble nearly is straight away lowered to rubble. The Russian economic system — that’s true, through the best way. It takes about 200 rubles to equivalent one buck.
The economic system is on target to be minimize in part within the coming years. It used to be ranked — Russia’s economic system used to be ranked the eleventh largest economic system on this planet ahead of this evasion [sic] — invasion. It’ll quickly now not even rank a number of the best 20 on this planet.
Taken in combination, those financial sanctions are a brand new more or less financial statecraft with the ability to inflict injury that opponents army would possibly.
Those global sanctions are sapping Russian power, its talent to fill up its army, and its talent — its talent to mission energy. And it’s Putin — it’s Vladimir Putin who’s accountable, length.
On the identical time, along those financial sanctions, the Western global has come in combination to offer for the folks of Ukraine with improbable ranges of army, financial and humanitarian help.
Within the years ahead of the invasion, we, The united states, had despatched over $650 million, ahead of they crossed the border, in guns to Ukraine, together with anti-air and anti-armor apparatus.
For the reason that invasion, The united states has dedicated some other $1.35 billion in guns and ammunition.
And because of the braveness and bravado of the Ukrainian other folks — the apparatus we’ve despatched and our colleagues have despatched were used to devastating impact to protect Ukrainian land and airspace. Our allies and companions have stepped up as neatly.
However as I’ve made clean: American forces are in Europe — now not in Europe to have interaction in struggle with Russian forces. American forces are right here to protect NATO allies.
The day gone by, I met with the troops which might be serving along our Polish allies to reinforce NATO’s front-line defenses. The explanation we needed to shed light on is their motion on Ukraine: Don’t even take into consideration shifting on one unmarried inch of NATO territory.
We’ve got a sacred legal responsibility — we have now a sacred legal responsibility beneath Article 5 to protect each inch of NATO territory with the entire power of our collective energy.
And previous lately, I visited your Nationwide Stadium, the place 1000’s of Ukrainian refugees at the moment are attempting to reply to the hardest questions a human can ask: “My God, what’s going to occur to me? What’s going to occur to my circle of relatives?”
I noticed tears in lots of the moms’ eyes as I embraced them; their small children — their small children now not certain whether or not to grin or cry. One little lady mentioned, “Mr. President” — she spoke a little bit English — “is my brother and my daddy — are they going to be ok? Will I see them once more?” With out their husbands, their fathers, in lots of circumstances, their brothers or sisters who stayed again to combat for his or her nation.
I didn’t have to talk the language or perceive the language to really feel the emotion of their eyes, the best way they gripped my hand, and sons and daughters hung directly to my leg, praying with a determined hope that every one that is transient; apprehension that they could also be in all probability without end clear of their properties, nearly with debilitating unhappiness that this is going on in every single place once more.
However I used to be additionally struck through the generosity of the folks of Warsaw — for that subject, all of the Polish other folks — for the depths in their compassion, their willingness to achieve out — opening their hearts.
I used to be pronouncing to the mayor they’re getting ready to open their hearts and their properties merely to assist. I additionally need to thank my pal, the nice American chef, José Andrés, and his group who helped feeling [sic] the ones — feeding those that are craving to be unfastened.
However serving to those refugees isn’t one thing Poland or every other country will have to raise on my own. All of the global democracies have a duty to assist. They all. And the folks of Ukraine can depend on america to satisfy its duty.
I’ve introduced, two days in the past, we will be able to welcome 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. We have already got 8,000 per week coming to america of different nat- — nationalities.
We’ll supply just about $300 million of humanitarian help, offering tens of 1000’s of heaps of meals, water, drugs and different fundamental provides.
In Brussels, I introduced america is ready to offer greater than $1 billion, as well as, in humanitarian support.
The Global Meals Program informed us that regardless of vital stumbling blocks, a minimum of some aid is attending to primary towns in Ukraine, however now not Metropol [sic] — no, excuse me, Mar- — now not Mariupol, as a result of Russian forces are blockading aid provides.
However we’ll now not stop our efforts to get humanitarian aid anywhere it’s wanted in Ukraine and for the individuals who’ve made it out of Ukraine.
However the brutality of Vladimir Putin, let there be surely that this conflict has already been a strategic failure for Russia already. Having misplaced kids myself — I do know that’s no solace to the individuals who’ve misplaced circle of relatives.
However he, Putin, idea Ukrainians would roll over and now not combat. No longer a lot of a scholar of historical past. As a substitute, Russian forces have met their fit with courageous and stiff Ukrainian resistance.
Reasonably than breaking Ukrainian unravel, Russia’s brutal techniques have reinforced the unravel.
Reasonably than using NATO aside, the West is now more potent and extra united than it has ever been.
Russia sought after much less of a NATO presence on its border, however now he has [sic] a more potent presence, a bigger presence, with over 100 thousand American troops right here, along side all of the different individuals of NATO.
In truth, Russia has controlled to reason one thing I’m certain he by no means supposed: The democracies of the sector are revitalized with objective and solidarity present in months that we’d as soon as taken years to perform.
It’s now not simplest Russia’s movements in Ukraine which might be reminding us of democracy’s blessing. It’s our personal nation — his personal nation, the Kremlin, is jailing protesters. 200 thousand other folks have allegedly already left. There’s a mind drain — leaving Russia. Shutting down impartial information. State media is all propaganda, blockading the picture of civilian objectives, mass graves, hunger techniques of the Russian forces in Ukraine.
Is it any marvel, as I mentioned, that 200,000 Russians have all left their nation in a single month? A outstanding mind drain in this sort of brief time period, which brings me to my message to the Russian other folks:
I’ve labored with Russian leaders for many years. I sat around the negotiating desk going all of the as far back as Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin to speak hands keep an eye on on the peak of the Chilly Struggle.
I’ve all the time spoken without delay and truthfully to you, the Russian other folks.
Let me say this, if you happen to’re ready to concentrate: You, the Russian other folks, aren’t our enemy.
I refuse to consider that you just welcome the killing of blameless kids and grandparents or that you just settle for hospitals, colleges, maternity wards that, for God’s sake, are being pummeled with Russian missiles and bombs; or towns being surrounded in order that civilians can’t flee; provides bring to an end and making an attempt to starve Ukrainians into submission.
Hundreds of thousands of households are being pushed from their properties, together with part of all Ukraine’s kids. Those aren’t the movements of an ideal country.
Of all other folks, you, the Russian other folks, in addition to all other folks throughout Europe, nonetheless have the reminiscence of being in a equivalent scenario within the overdue ’30s and ’40s — the placement of Global Struggle II — nonetheless recent within the minds of many grandparents within the area.
What — no matter your era skilled — whether or not it skilled the siege of Leningrad or heard about it out of your folks and grandparents — teach stations overflowing with terrified households fleeing their properties; nights sheltering in basements and cellars; mornings sitting in the course of the rubble on your properties — those aren’t recollections of the previous. No longer anymore. As it’s precisely what the Russian military is doing in Ukraine at this time.
March 26, 2022. Simply days ahead of — we’re on the twenty-fir- — you have been a Twenty first-century country with hopes and desires that folks in every single place the sector have for themselves and their circle of relatives.
Now, Vladimir Putin’s aggression have minimize you, the Russian other folks, off from the remainder of the sector, and it’s taking Russia again to the nineteenth century.
This isn’t who you’re. This isn’t the long run reserve — you deserve in your households and your kids. I’m telling you the reality: This conflict isn’t worthy of you, the Russian other folks.
Putin can and will have to finish this conflict. The American other folks stand with you and the courageous electorate of Ukraine who need peace.
And my message to the remainder of Europe: This new struggle for freedom has already made a couple of issues crystal clean.
First, Europe will have to finish its dependence on Russian fossil fuels. And we, america, will assist. That’s why simply the day before today, in Brussels, I introduced a plan with the president of the Ecu Fee to get Europe in the course of the instant power disaster.
Over the long run, as a question of financial safety and nationwide safety and for the survivability of the planet, all of us want to transfer as briefly as conceivable to scrub, renewable power. And we’ll paintings in combination to assist get that completed in order that the times of any country being matter to the whims of a tyrant for its power wishes are over. They will have to finish. They will have to finish.
And 2nd, we need to combat the corruption coming from the Kremlin to offer the Russian other folks a good probability.
And in spite of everything, and maximum urgently, we take care of absolute solidarity — we will have to — a number of the global’s democracies.
It’s now not sufficient to talk with rhetorical flourish, of ennobling phrases of democracy, of freedom, equality and liberty. All folks, together with right here in Poland, will have to do the arduous paintings of democracy each and every and on a daily basis. My nation as neatly.
That’s why — that’s why I got here to Europe once more this week with a transparent and made up our minds message for NATO, for the G-7, for the Ecu Union, for all freedom-loving countries: We will have to dedicate now to be on this combat for the lengthy haul. We will have to stay unified lately and the following day and the day after and for the years and a long time to return.
It’ll now not be simple. There will likely be prices. Nevertheless it’s a value we need to pay. Since the darkness that drives autocracy is in the long run no fit for the flame of liberty that lighting fixtures the souls of unfastened other folks all over.
Again and again, historical past displays that it’s from the darkest moments that the best development follows. And historical past displays that is the duty of our time, the duty of this era.
Let’s have in mind: The hammer blow that introduced down the Berlin Wall, the would possibly that lifted the Iron Curtain weren’t the phrases of a unmarried chief; it used to be the folks of Europe who, for many years, fought to unfastened themselves.
Their sheer bravery opened the border between Austria and Hungary for the Pan-Ecu Picnic. They joined fingers for the Baltic Method.
They stood for Unity right here in Poland. And in combination, it used to be an unmistakable and simple power of the folks that the Soviet Union may just now not face up to. And we’re seeing it as soon as once more lately with the courageous Ukrainian other folks, appearing that their energy of many is larger than the need of anyone dictator.
So, on this hour, let the phrases of Pope John Paul burn as brightly lately: “By no means, ever surrender hope, by no means doubt, by no means tire, by no means grow to be discouraged. Be now not afraid.”
A dictator bent on rebuilding an empire won’t ever erase a other folks’s love for liberty. Brutality won’t ever grind down their will to be unfastened. Ukraine won’t ever be a victory for Russia — without spending a dime other folks refuse to reside in an international of hopelessness and darkness.
We will be able to have a unique long term — a brighter long term rooted in democracy and idea, hope and lightweight, of decency and dignity, of freedom and chances.
For God’s sake, this guy can’t stay in energy.
God bless you all. And might God protect our freedom. And might God offer protection to our troops. Thanks in your persistence. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks.
