President: When our people are doing everything for victory, any internal betrayal triggers fury

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his video address, Ukrinform reports.

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

Today was a long and eventful day.

This day started early. With our usual work on receiving weapons, new defense support packages, including American ones. And I am grateful for today's package: artillery, missiles for HIMARS, Patriots, NASAMS, drones and much more. Thank you, America!

I spoke with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak. As always, it was a very practical and straightforward conversation. First and foremost, we talked about protecting our southern regions, in particular Odesa, the normal life of people and the work of our ports.

Rishi and I discussed possible steps and the possible number of air defense batteries. The United Kingdom can become the leader whose assistance with air defense systems will guarantee real security.

The world knows that the security of our Black Sea ports is the key to peace and stability in the global food market.

Now is the time when it is important to reap the harvest of determination, security determination, so that no one will have to end up as a harvester of chaos later on neither in the countries of Africa nor anywhere on other continents. 

Food security is a globally important priority and part of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.

Today I held a preparatory meeting before the first meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, which will take place tomorrow. The consultations are specifically about security in the Black Sea - our ports and our grain exports. We have also begun preparing an interoperability plan together with the Alliance.

The second meeting with government officials and representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine was about European integration, the necessary steps and the decisions that need to be made to launch negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the European Union. 

We are working on preparations for the negotiations on a daily basis.

Today, a non-public but still strategically important event took place: government officials presented the results of the first year of the drone army. Not a project already, but a real Ukrainian drone army. There was a presentation of different types of Ukrainian drones used for defense, as well as a meeting with manufacturers, designers, and donors. Journalists and representatives of civil society had the opportunity to see the potential achieved by the drone army in the first year and the way the army will grow. The defense absolutely needs all drones - from fairly simple Mavic drones to maritime drones and attack drones that can operate at a great distance. By the way, we often discuss this topic at the meeting of the Staff, and often in a raised voice. But there are results, and this can be seen in the news.

There will be more good news involving Ukrainian drones. And this is crucial.

One more crucial point.

Millions of Ukrainians are focused on one thing day after day. Not on themselves, not on their own desires, but on defending the state and their lives.

But unfortunately, some people think that the war is somewhere far away from them.

As if the dome of the Verkhovna Rada, or the walls of some offices, or a list of some powers can shield from reality.

No one will forgive MPs, judges, "military commissars" or any other officials for putting themselves in opposition to the state. For some, it's about islands and resorts during the war, for others it's about lining one's pockets in the military enlistment office, for others it's about bribes in the courts. For any public official, this is a betrayal of state principles, a betrayal of the interests of society.

I want to warn all MPs, officials, and everyone else in public office. When everyday you search for weapons for the state, when all the attention is on providing artillery, missiles, drones, when you constantly see and feel the moral strength gained for Ukraine by our warriors, our people, who are doing everything possible and impossible for the victory and preservation of freedom, any internal betrayal, any "beach" or any personal enrichment instead of Ukraine's interests triggers fury at the very least.

Fury. Remember that. Imagine how many millions of hearts in Ukraine felt the same fury.

I want all MPs and officials to hear me now. You must work. In Ukraine and for the sake of the Ukrainian people. I am grateful to those MPs who are truly working for the interests of the state. And those who think about spending more time abroad and look for "profitable" trips so that they can combine them with business, friends or "beaches" - there will not be any of you.

Also, there will not be those who are reluctant to make decisions necessary for our defense or European integration because of some personal benefits. Every law that is needed to strengthen the position of our troops must be adopted. Every law that is necessary for Ukraine to start negotiations with the EU on accession must be adopted. And I don't want to hear any more excuses. And no one else does. Ukraine does not give you any more time. If you are working for Ukraine, you are needed by Ukraine, if not, you are not.

One more thing.

Today, I was presented with some preliminary results of the inspection of other "military commissars", besides the former one from Odesa. And the results are disappointing. Of course, law enforcement officers will implement them in a legal manner, and society will see everything.

But I want to say to all such "military commissars" and any other officials who for some reason think that society will just wait, that they can get brazen somewhere in the rear. We will win this war that Russia started. And we will win for Ukraine the kind of state life that will be worthy of our heroic defenders, of everyone who is now giving all their strength to defense. There is no place for the unworthy in such a life.

And lastly.

Today I have signed two decrees on awarding our warriors. 649 defenders of Ukraine have been honored with state awards. Unfortunately, 218 of them were awarded posthumously.

Everyone should remember the cost of statehood, freedom and dignity.

Glory to Ukraine!