By Xhabir Deralla
The cold mind of history will remember these times as an era of shameless lies, immense tragedy, and boundless evil – countered by unparalleled heroism and an unbreakable love for freedom and peace.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General has registered over 156,000 war crimes cases, including torture and executions of civilians – among them children, women, and the elderly, executions of POWs, bombings of civilian targets, including hospitals, schools, and kindergartens, sexual violence, use of chemical weapons, and many other terrible crimes. The world has seen shocking images of horrible violence, often recorded by Russian aggressors themselves. One of the most horrendous crimes is the abduction of 20,000 Ukrainian children, now subjected to Russification in so-called “re-education” camps. The ICC is now pursuing war criminals Putin and his Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova for the unlawful deportation and transfer of children, a war crime under international law.
Three years ago, Ukraine, led by an artist and intellectual – President Zelensky – stood at the crossroads of history. The president was offered an escape as bombs rained down on his country. He responded with words that will echo through time forever: “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.”
Ukraine said NO! NO to brutal and bloodthirsty aggression. NO to the machinery of lies and propaganda. NO to the forces of tyranny that sought to erase a sovereign nation from the map.
More importantly, Ukraine said YES! YES to freedom, YES to dignity, YES to the right of its people to determine their own destiny. I am deeply humbled and grateful for the sacrifices of the Ukrainian nation and will always honor their courage and heroism. They are not only defending their country; they are defending democracy and freedom for all of us.
The frontlines of this war stretch far beyond the trenches and the skies besieged by missiles and drones. They are in our cities, our institutions, our media, and our societies – where the battle against disinformation and propaganda rages on. Russia’s war is fought not only with missiles and tanks but with lies, manipulation, and fear, amplified by its far-right allies in Europe, the region, and across the world.
As someone who has dedicated years to fighting this war on the frontlines of truth, I know this battle is not fought alone. I wear the Order of Merit, awarded to me by President Zelensky, with deep respect and gratitude—not as a personal honor, but as a tribute to my colleagues and fellow fighters who stand against a far stronger foe. I implore you to remember the journalists, activists, and truth-seekers who expose the deception, counter the propaganda, and refuse to let falsehoods shape our future. They are the unseen warriors of this fight.
More than a hundred of our colleagues have been arrested, killed, or are missing in the three years of Russian aggression. One of them, Vilen Temeryanov, a journalist from Crimea whose case I follow and advocate for, has been in Russian captivity since August 2022. He has endured torture, including isolation, psychological abuse, electroshocks, narcotics, and other methods, all part of a horrifying tactic known as punitive psychiatry from the Soviet Union’s playbook.
Today, as we mark three years of full-scale resistance, let us honor Ukraine’s struggle not only with words but with unwavering solidarity and concrete support, for as long as it takes for them—and for us—to liberate Ukraine and establish a just and lasting peace. Because Ukraine’s fight is our fight. Their resilience is our lesson. Their victory will be a victory for all who refuse to bow to tyranny.
Slava Ukraini!
Speech delivered at the event marking three years of Ukraine’s resistance against Russian aggression, February 24, 2025, Europe House Skopje / Delegation of the EU in the Republic of North Macedonia.
