On the eve of International Students’ Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with students and professors of Colombian higher education institutions – the University of La Sabana, the Externado University, the University of Cartagena, the University of Santo Tomas, the Pontifical Bolivarian University and the University of the Andes.
That is according to the President’s Office, Ukrinform reports.
“Our country’s struggle for survival has been ongoing for almost 1,000 days. And this struggle is not just about Ukraine – it concerns you as well, everyone who values freedom, the right to choose their own path, and a future without war. What this future will look like depends on each of us today – people living in different parts of the world but sharing the same understanding of such concepts as freedom and justice,” the President said.
Zelensky spoke about how Ukrainians are fighting Russian aggression, as well as about Russian attacks on cities and, in particular, educational institutions in Ukraine. He expressed his belief that this will help young people in Colombia better understand what modern Russia is and what its war against Ukraine is like.
“This is an attempt to restore a colonial empire, to enslave our people, to deprive us of our freedom and our right to choose. Colombians, who have experienced the struggle against colonialism, know what this means. They know how cruel invaders can be, how they try to break your resistance, and how important it is to fight, to defend your freedom and the right of every nation to live independently, to preserve their identity,” the head of the Ukrainian state said.
The President noted that in order to restore justice and lasting peace, Ukraine has presented the Peace Formula to the international community – a plan of concrete steps, 10 points to end the war.
He also pointed out that all war criminals must be brought to justice.
“Justice is needed for all the parents who lost their children, military and civilian. Justice is needed so that over time, all those who gave these bloody orders to kill us, our population, to bomb us every day – so that all these people are held accountable before the law, so that they receive their sentences,” the President said.
In addition, the issue of the North Korean military’s involvement in the war was discussed.
“Two countries are against us, against Ukraine. And I would like NATO to turn words into action and strengthen Ukraine. We would very much like to be granted the ability to use long-range weapons against military targets on Russia’s territory,” the Head of State concluded.
As reported by Ukrinform, President Volodymyr Zelensky, commenting on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, said there would not be a Minsk-3 deal because Ukraine needs real peace.
Photo: President’s Office
Source: Zelensky speaks with students from Colombian universities
