By Xhabir Deralla

I was deeply moved by the Ukrainian president’s message to the world. One cannot remain indifferent to the sight of the leader of a sovereign and independent country standing in the middle of ruins and addressing world leaders, inviting them to meet and talk about peace.

If we want freedom and peace, we have a human and civilizational obligation to stand up for the peace and freedom of Ukraine. This is not just about one country. The brutal war that Russia is waging against Ukraine is also a war against the entire world—a war of lies against truth, tyranny against dignity and freedom, and death and destruction against life and progress. It’s a war against human rights and freedoms!

That is why this message from the leader of Ukraine is important. It lasts only six minutes, but it will go down in history as a powerful call to the world to wake up and defend freedom.

President Zelensky stood in the middle of the destroyed printing house “Faktor-Druk,” where the production of the Ukrainian publishing house “Vivat” is located. It is the largest printing facility in Ukraine. One third of all books printed in Ukraine are produced there. Around 50,000 books were burned along with the building, including titles printed for the largest book festival in Ukraine, which is to be held soon.

Yes, despite all devastating losses, Ukraine persists in the face of the terror that Russia has been waging against it for over ten years, which has escalated into a full-scale invasion for over two years now.

Zelensky drew a parallel to Ray Bradbury’s famous work “Fahrenheit 451,” saying that the temperature of the fire in the printing press failed to reach 451 degrees Fahrenheit. But, he noted, this is what Russia’s leaders need and want—ever higher temperatures.

The brutal war that Russia is waging against Ukraine is also a war against the entire world—a war of lies against truth, tyranny against dignity and freedom, and death and destruction against life and progress. It’s a war against human rights and freedoms!

Russia is behind numerous crises and military conflicts worldwide. The dark clique in the Kremlin has developed the ability to turn everything into a weapon. It occupies the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, threatening a nuclear disaster. It uses famine as a weapon, as it did ninety years ago, not just against Ukraine but against the whole world. It destroys and razes entire cities and villages, making them uninhabitable. It denies the existence of the Ukrainian nation, dehumanizes Ukrainians, kidnaps their children, and russifies them.

Russia does not want dialogue. The dark, bloodthirsty cabal that runs the country relies on two things: vile lies and bloody violence—nothing else. This is why President Zelensky, an intellectual and artist who has led his country in a brave fight for freedom, reminds the world that a ceasefire with Russia is not possible; only a lasting and just peace will suffice. History shows that the Kremlin has consistently abused every promise and guarantee for peaceful resolution of conflicts, merely to buy time and secure better positions for further attacks and destruction.

There is no excuse for anyone in the world to ignore these facts or to refrain from contributing to peace for Ukraine. Peace for Ukraine is not just about one nation—it is peace for the entire world!