Zelensky: Ukraine's future and every child's fate must not depend on Moscow's ballistic missiles

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia must be held accountable for crimes committed against Ukrainian children.

The head of state made the statement during a speech at a ceremony honoring Ukrainian children who were killed as a result of Russian aggression, Ukrinform reports, citing his post on social media platform X.

"This day fills all of us with understandable emotions – human feelings, pain, tears, despair. And absolutely everyone has one question: why? Why is the world still unable to stop all these killings? Why does Russia continue them, and why does this number [of children killed] grow every year? Why do we have to explain obvious things, that Russia must finally be held accountable? How many more deaths are needed to stop these madmen? How much more pain and suffering must Ukrainians endure before the world finally becomes the kind it should be – a peaceful world, a world without Putin. These questions are not rhetorical. The world, Europe know the answers," he said.

Zelensky said that sympathy is important, but not enough. According to him, statements alone are insufficient, and condemnations are also not enough.

"What is needed is real protection of life. Action is needed. Accountability is needed so that the fate of one child and the fate of one country never depend on whether Moscow has ballistic missiles or not," he said.

He noted that Ukraine is currently remembering the children killed by Russia. According to him, this day is "about the most painful episodes of the war, about the greatest injustice and the evil Russia inflicts when the most vulnerable and the most innocent are killed – children."

He said that at least 707 Ukrainian children have been killed, thousands more have been injured and abducted by Russia, and the fate of thousands of others remains unknown.

"All of this is proof that there is no more deceitful state in the world than Russia, and their so-called claims of striking only military targets, and their imaginary war goals born of a sick imagination – all of this collapses against reality, a very clear and transparent reality. Putin is a child killer. The Russian army is a child killer. Today we will hear this terrible, absolutely terrible statistic more than once," he said.

Zelensky stressed that these are horrific numbers behind real children's lives.

"This is, without question, the pain of every mother and every father who simply does not know how to live on with such pain. A baby who could not yet walk or speak, who was simply in a stroller at a playground where a Russian missile struck. Or a girl sleeping in her room where a Russian Shahed drone hit. Or twin boys who were only two years old. Or stories of our teenagers who were going on their first date moments before a strike. Our Ukrainian children. Some were just a few days old, some were starting school, others were supposed to have their graduation. This is who this sick state is fighting against – this is who the so-called 'second army of the world' is fighting, unable to win on the battlefield and trying to assert itself through such horrific killings," Zelensky said.

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He stressed that Russia demonstrates its power on children, and that this does not apply only to Ukraine. According to him, Russia has done the same in Syria and Georgia, and will do it anywhere it enters or threatens to enter.

As reported by Ukrinform, more than 700 children have been officially verified as killed due to Russian aggression in Ukraine, and more than 2,700 have been injured.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine