CSPAN - Ukrainian President Zelensky Addresses British Parliament
Aired: 2026-03-17
Duration: 30:59


=== Defending Ukraine's Courage (09:09) ===

[00:00:00]  As Democrats and as Americans, to make sure that we return to the principles that made us a beacon of freedom and opportunity for the world, I will have almost a year remaining in the best job I've ever had representing the good people of Illinois' 8th Congressional District.
[00:00:16]  And I pledge to you tonight that I will continue to do that job to the best of my ability to fight for the kind of country we all still believe in.
[00:00:25]  Thank you so much.
[00:00:26]  God bless you and God bless America.
[00:00:29]  Thank you so much.
[00:00:30]  Thank you.
[00:00:31]  Thank you.
[00:00:41]  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed British Parliament on the ongoing conflict with Russia.
[00:00:47]  He highlighted the mutual trust between Ukraine and the United Kingdom and defense tactics using AI and drone technology.
[00:01:59]  Mr. President, Your Excellencies, members of the House of Commons, House of Lords, ladies and gentlemen.
[00:02:06]  Well, I'm always pleased to see you, Mr. President.
[00:02:11]  My friend, I've got to say, unfortunately, this is not a meeting to celebrate or to see peace.
[00:02:24]  We shall be happy and proud to see the President of the nation which has fought so bravely for its independence and freedom.
[00:02:33]  We should be celebrating the courage and resolve of the people of Ukraine.
[00:02:38]  Your country has showed incredible determination and ability in defending itself against Russian aggression.
[00:02:48]  But we cannot celebrate because we cannot forget there is not yet a just and lasting peace.
[00:02:58]  We cannot forget that just over four years ago, Russia launched its illegal invasion into the heart of Ukraine.
[00:03:07]  We soon learnt what happened in places like Butcher.
[00:03:11]  I saw the devastation and the pain that was inflicted.
[00:03:16]  I've got to say, to see that for myself last year, at the Butcher Summit of Speakers, it was a strong reminder of why it is so important that the UK helps you seek justice by supporting the International Criminal Court and domestic war crimes that have happened in Ukraine.
[00:03:38]  We stand in solidarity with you, remembering the civilians, the men, the women, the children who were slaughtered and there and elsewhere.
[00:03:47]  The burning of bodies, the mutilation of bodies, the photos that we have seen of the atrocities that were carried out by Putin and his regime.
[00:03:59]  Nor have we forgotten the children taken from Ukraine, forcibly deported to Russia, and the struggle of their families to regain and reintegrate them.
[00:04:10]  We are committed to helping you trace them through a pilot mechanism which has identified over 600 additional children since September.
[00:04:22]  And now there is another war in the Middle East.
[00:04:25]  And we are concerned about the impact that war will have on energy supplies in this country and across the world.
[00:04:32]  It is imperative that Russia does not profit from the world's need for energy and the sanctions on Russian oil must remain in place.
[00:04:43]  We are committed to exerting economic pressure on Russia.
[00:04:48]  We have not forgotten Ukraine faced what Ukraine faces in the enemy attacks on your vital energy infrastructure.
[00:04:56]  The UK has provided funding to the Energy Support Fund to enhance your ability to generate the power you need through repairs and infrastructure protection.
[00:05:05]  I am proud that this country has stood with you, the Ukrainians, in their struggle and will stand with you in the future.
[00:05:13]  Bound by the 100-year partnership and agreement signed in January 2025 and ratified by the RABA, it demonstrates the confidence in your long-term future and cements our role as your closest partners across pillars, including defence, science, energy, trade and culture, and others.
[00:05:32]  I am grateful that you, Mr. President, have repeatedly come to our Parliament, as has your wife, your Speaker, and many members of Parliament, because it is not enough to read about things.
[00:05:45]  The true understanding is when we get and hear your personal testimonies.
[00:05:50]  It is important that we do not lose focus on what is happening in Ukraine.
[00:05:56]  It must not be driven out of our minds by other wars.
[00:05:59]  And Ukraine must continue to get the support it needs to defend itself.
[00:06:03]  Supporting Ukraine's resilience is essential to achieving just and lasting peace.
[00:06:09]  But Ukraine's security is also the UK's security and Europe's security.
[00:06:14]  In fighting for their country, they are fighting for our democracy, their sovereignty, their identity.
[00:06:20]  Only the people of Ukraine can determine their future.
[00:06:24]  Choice does not happen at the barrel of a gun or by redrawing international borders by force.
[00:06:30]  It is important this brutal war ends and we support all the attempts and to secure its ending with justice and security for Ukraine.
[00:06:39]  As part of that, we jointly lead the nations and the coalition of the willing to ensure security and the guarantees are in place in the event of a ceasefire.
[00:06:50]  Across political parties in the United Kingdom, it is united in the support for Ukraine and its resilience in peace, as well as war.
[00:06:58]  Whether through extensive military support, seizing Russian assets, upholding sanction regimes, disrupting shadow fleets, loan guarantees, humanitarian assistance, reconstruction projects, or supporting your parliament to function.
[00:07:14]  We are unwavering.
[00:07:16]  One day, I hope to welcome you to a true celebration, a celebration of Ukraine, which is free and democratic, no longer fighting for its survival.
[00:07:27]  Until then, it is such an honour to welcome you here again and to hear directly from you.
[00:07:32]  We stand with you.
[00:07:34]  Slab of Ukraine.
[00:07:35]  Mr. President, the floor is yours.
[00:08:05]  Thank you so much.
[00:08:07]  Thank you very much, Lord Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Prime Minister Giekir, Mr. Secretary General, dear Mark, dear members of Parliament, dear journalists, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for all your attention to us, to Ukraine, and for the support that Britain and the British people have given us since the start of Russia's full-scale war.
[00:08:35]  Together, we have saved many, many lives, and we can save many more.
[00:08:43]  Now, among Ukrainians, trust in the United Kingdom is one of the highest compared to all our partners, and it's absolutely well deserved.
[00:08:53]  It comes from your support, your leadership, and your cooperation with us.
[00:09:01]  When Ukrainians think of Britain, they know they can trust it.
[00:09:07]  And I thank you for that.

=== Securing Tomorrow's World (03:40) ===

[00:09:09]  Thank you.
[00:09:17]  And I'm grateful that you truly care about what will happen to security, to our cities and villages, to our countries, and to our Europe, and to our world.
[00:09:28]  We are another generation that must think about what comes next for the world.
[00:09:35]  This means we are already in history, but it's up to us whether history stops with us or continues as human history.
[00:09:46]  Not AI, not drones, not anything like that.
[00:09:51]  Will this still be a world where people live above the ground, under the sun, not underground, under concrete just to stay safe?
[00:10:04]  It's up to us to decide.
[00:10:06]  And we are here in this great building of the British Parliament, calm and safe, not in a shelter.
[00:10:15]  On your way here, you saw three branches over the streets, not protective nets against FPV drones.
[00:10:25]  And all of us here worry a little about having fast mobile internet or Wi-Fi nearby, not about whether strong mobile air defense teams are on duty close to us.
[00:10:38]  This way of life, open space, normal streets, normal buildings, not underground, feels so simple, so familiar, as if it has always been there.
[00:10:54]  It's almost impossible to imagine it ending.
[00:10:58]  But what guarantees that it will continue?
[00:11:03]  Only our determination.
[00:11:06]  The world has entered a completely new time, a time of drones, a time of AI.
[00:11:14]  This means the evolution of weapons, the evolution of war, and the evolution of crime.
[00:11:21]  No one can predict where this evolution will lead, but we must keep up with it and even more, we must stay ahead of it.
[00:11:31]  People want certainty, and it is always the strongest demand any society makes of its leaders.
[00:11:39]  People want to know what tomorrow will bring.
[00:11:43]  And people want to believe that tomorrow for their children, for their families, will be at least no worse than today for them.
[00:11:54]  And when they don't see a future, people begin to support those who reject everything, offering something entirely different, something that can break the very foundations of society.
[00:12:09]  So we must have an answer that tomorrow will be at least safe.
[00:12:15]  And this is the foundation.
[00:12:18]  Without security, there is no strong economy and there are no social services and truly work and no real hope, hope for a normal life, life for our children.
[00:12:29]  And this is our duty, the duty of this generation of leaders who are acting now.
[00:12:34]  We must deliver real security, safety on the streets, safety at home, the protection of our culture, and real respect for the rights and security of our people, and national security proven by war.

=== Building Future Defense Systems (15:22) ===

[00:12:50]  Ladies and gentlemen, right now, there are 201 Ukrainians in the Middle East and Gulf region, and another 34 are ready to deploy.
[00:13:02]  These are military experts, experts who know how to help, how to defend against Sahid drones.
[00:13:11]  Our teams are already in the Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and on the way to Kuwait.
[00:13:17]  We are working with several other countries.
[00:13:19]  Agreements are already in peace.
[00:13:21]  We do not want this terror of the Iranian regime against its neighbors to succeed.
[00:13:28]  And I sent these military experts at the request of our partners, including the United States.
[00:13:34]  In fact, this is a part of the drone deal we proposed to the United States, which we worked on together and which is still on the table.
[00:13:44]  And we are ready to offer similar deals to all our reliable partners, from practical cooperation on drones to future defense alliances.
[00:13:54]  And I don't think anyone would want to leave Ukraine's war-proven strengths and capability outside their security.
[00:14:03]  If someone does, it wouldn't be wise.
[00:14:07]  The United Kingdom sees these opportunities clearly.
[00:14:11]  Our agreements are always solid, and I am glad that today we have signed a declaration with the Prime Minister.
[00:14:18]  Thank you very much, Kir.
[00:14:30]  Armies in the Middle East and Gulf region have good protection against missiles, including Iranian ballistic ones.
[00:14:38]  Pay truth and SAD systems work well, though they are expensive.
[00:14:43]  But terrorist regimes always look for ways to break through defenses and make killing cheaper.
[00:14:49]  Iran began producing Shahid drones years ago, attack drones that are now after upgrades even more dangerous than missiles.
[00:15:00]  In Ukraine, we had to learn how to defend against them.
[00:15:05]  About three years ago, Russia received Shahids from the Iranian regime.
[00:15:11]  These are drones designed for the low-cost destruction of the expensive critical infrastructure targets.
[00:15:18]  Iran taught Russia how to launch them and gave it the technology to produce them.
[00:15:24]  Russia, then upgraded them, and now we have clear evidence that Iranian Shahids used in the region contain Russian components.
[00:15:34]  So, what is happening around Iran today is not a faraway war for us because of the cooperation between Russia and Iran.
[00:15:43]  And we do not believe we have the right to be indifferent, even if we are separated from human suffering or shared danger by an ocean, a notion, however big and beautiful, or by anything else.
[00:16:00]  Ballistic missiles can strike at thousands of kilometers.
[00:16:04]  Drones can do the same.
[00:16:06]  But if evil wins, the evolution of war will cross any distance on us.
[00:16:13]  No ocean will help.
[00:16:15]  No desert, no mountains.
[00:16:18]  That is why it is worth helping protect life.
[00:16:22]  The regimes in Russia and Iran are brothers in hatred.
[00:16:26]  And that is why they are brothers in weapons.
[00:16:29]  And we want regimes built on hatred to never, never win in anything.
[00:16:34]  And we want no such regime to threaten Europe or our partners.
[00:16:39]  Can we just live alongside regimes like this?
[00:16:44]  Ukraine tried to live in peace with Russia.
[00:16:48]  And two invasions in 10 years.
[00:16:51]  This is the result.
[00:16:53]  The Middle East has not had a single year of real peace while this regime has been in Iran.
[00:17:00]  And we are entering a time when such regimes are gaining new ways to kill cheaply, over long distances, using AI, and as before, simply because they want to destroy you and can force their own people to work for war.
[00:17:18]  One Iranian Shaheed costs about $50,000.
[00:17:24]  To shoot it down, partners often use missiles, some costing up to $4 million, or combat aircraft, which is also very expensive.
[00:17:34]  Iranians knew that no air defense in the world would be enough to stop such drones, such a number of drones.
[00:17:42]  And we were the ones who changed that.
[00:17:46]  In Ukraine, we stopped one such drone with two or three interceptors, small interceptors, costing less than $10,000 in total.
[00:17:55]  So our approach is far more cost-effective than anything our partners use today.
[00:18:01]  Dear friends, we must build security the way so that the evolution of security stays ahead of the evolution of war.
[00:18:10]  And it is not only about a state launching attacks.
[00:18:14]  We must be ready for any kind of strike, including from non-state actors, criminal networks, terrorist groups, and even loan attackers who can gain access to such technologies.
[00:18:27]  With the spread, with the spread of drones, mass attacks no longer cost billions, they cost far less.
[00:18:35]  It is no longer only a wealthy madman like Putin who can afford this, unfortunately.
[00:18:42]  But even now, and even he is still being given money as sanctions on his all are lifted.
[00:18:51]  And of course, I thank you.
[00:18:54]  Thank you that the UK is not doing this.
[00:18:58]  Thank you so much.
[00:19:00]  And we see this the same way.
[00:19:02]  Strong support for Ukraine, strong sanctions against Russia, and strong joint defense projects are the only basis for effective diplomacy to end this war.
[00:19:14]  Aggressors don't end wars because they suddenly want to.
[00:19:19]  They stop when they can no longer continue.
[00:19:23]  That's why pressure is crucial.
[00:19:26]  I thank you that Britain understands this.
[00:19:30]  Thank you.
[00:19:41]  Right now, I have proof that the evolution of security can be fast and cheaper than old defense systems.
[00:19:52]  This is an iPad with software that lets us control our security in real time.
[00:20:00]  It's true.
[00:20:01]  We have these iPads.
[00:20:03]  I have one.
[00:20:04]  My Prime Minister has one.
[00:20:06]  Our Minister of Defense and our top military commanders, they have it.
[00:20:11]  It lets us see the front line in Ukraine and even every enemy killed with video proof.
[00:20:19]  Right now, 90% of Russian losses on the front are caused by our drones.
[00:20:24]  That's why it's so important to know who has the advantage in drones and to be fast and strong in defending against them.
[00:20:34]  iPad also shows every strike in our skies, our sea area and our long-range strike against Russia.
[00:20:42]  It gives us real-time control over people's safety and our infrastructure and energy sector.
[00:20:49]  And I believe the evolution of security will make it possible for every leader, every defense minister and even ordinary people to have tools like these and with them and with them a high level of protection of life.
[00:21:03]  Leaders and ministers work for people.
[00:21:06]  And if the leaders have power, it's only because people trust them with their security.
[00:21:14]  With tools like this, people will not only trust, they will be able to see for themselves what is being done for their security in real time.
[00:21:28]  We see every we see these examples.
[00:21:32]  Yeah, you can see.
[00:21:34]  We see every large-scale Russian attack on our cities in detail.
[00:21:39]  Launch, points, flight, pass, likely targets.
[00:21:44]  The system lets us analyze each attack and how our defense responds as a whole.
[00:21:50]  In real time, we see what is happening in the sky and what resources are being used to protect us.
[00:21:58]  It's a clear way to keep control and to adapt to real-time situations.
[00:22:04]  And there are almost no nights in Ukraine, and it's true, no nights in Ukraine without Russian Shakid attacks.
[00:22:12]  Sometimes hundreds of attack drones and dozens of missiles in a single night.
[00:22:18]  But interceptor rate is around 87-90%.
[00:22:23]  And this number would be higher if we had enough investment in our defense production and enough missiles against ballistic threats.
[00:22:32]  And these are our two main shortages, funding and Petro missiles.
[00:22:38]  That's why we are working to involve our partners in production and to help Europe build all the air defense it needs.
[00:22:48]  Here is the massive attack on the night of March 14.
[00:22:55]  In total, there were, can you imagine, there were nearly 500 Russian air attacks weapons, 400 sortie drones and 68 missiles of different types.
[00:23:05]  And we shut down most of them and in real time on this iPad, in our system, we could see how our aircraft were working, where electronic warfare was used and how interceptors were deployed.
[00:23:20]  And of course, our mobile air defense teams are also working.
[00:23:25]  And we see it all on the iPad across the whole country and down to each individual strike.
[00:23:31]  How the defense worked, what needs fixing, which solutions in which areas will bring the best results.
[00:23:39]  We do this after every Russian attack.
[00:23:42]  It means each day.
[00:23:45]  It is this led defense that ensures Russia cannot destroy us from the air.
[00:23:51]  Every part of the system must be used.
[00:23:53]  Our newest element is interceptor drones.
[00:23:57]  When conditions and weather allow, we use hundreds of them every day.
[00:24:05]  This works thanks to our production in Ukraine and with our partners, Sting, Mirops, Piwan San and others.
[00:24:13]  And I'm glad we have a joint project with the United Kingdom, the Octobus drones.
[00:24:19]  This is successful decisions.
[00:24:21]  Successful interceptions depend on well-placed positions of our soldiers, set up to cover as many drone routes as possible.
[00:24:30]  And it is constant hunting at night and now even during the day.
[00:24:35]  And you see how many patriot systems and other air defense systems there are in the Middle East and the Gulf.
[00:24:41]  But there is still not enough security.
[00:24:44]  Why?
[00:24:45]  Why not enough security?
[00:24:46]  Because the Iranian regime's weapons have evolved faster than defense in these countries.
[00:24:53]  This is a problem that must be solved and can be solved.
[00:24:57]  And as soon as possible, we all understand what comes next.
[00:25:03]  AI is already in many devices we use every day.
[00:25:07]  Soon almost everything will run on it.
[00:25:11]  And weapons will too, becoming even more deadly because they will act faster than any human.
[00:25:18]  By building protection against today's weapons, by investing in the evolution of security, we are also preparing for the weapons of tomorrow.
[00:25:27]  Perhaps we are preventing a problem.
[00:25:30]  And if the world has stopped Putin back in 2022, we would not be thinking today about how to defend against drone warfare.
[00:25:41]  Without his war against Ukraine, the world might have avoided mass drone warfare cheap and deadly for many, many years.
[00:25:50]  And if together with partners in the Middle East we build a system like Ukraine, they will be able to track attacks from Iran or from the Houthis in real time, analyze them, keep improving their defense, giving people critical infrastructure and trade routes real security.
[00:26:09]  Today, just a few Shaheeds can disrupt oil shipments at a scale that affects entire regions or destroy desalination plants and hit millions, millions of people in the most painful way.
[00:26:25]  The cost of living is rising everywhere and terrorists around the world are learning what they too can do.
[00:26:34]  And we all know the solutions that can prevent this.
[00:26:39]  Some may think it is enough to just buy interception and protection is guaranteed, but it's not that simple.
[00:26:47]  The key is the system.
[00:26:49]  The system matters.
[00:26:51]  And there have already been cases when partners bought interceptors but still had no ask for help because they did not have a system to use them.
[00:27:01]  And without a system, any interceptor is just a toy, not a real defender.
[00:27:07]  So what do we have?
[00:27:08]  First, we are capable of producing at least 2,000 effective and combat-proven interceptors every day.
[00:27:15]  We can produce more.
[00:27:16]  It depends on investment.
[00:27:18]  We need about 1,000 interceptors a day and we can supply at least another 1,000 a day to our allies.
[00:27:26]  Second, we know how to build radar and acoustic coverage to respond to how Shahids and other drones approach.
[00:27:34]  Third, we have software that allows radars to keep working even under electronic warfare, jamming in real time.
[00:27:43]  We analyze enemy frequencies and respond to them.
[00:27:48]  And because of this system, we understand how effective our defense is against almost every, every attack drones.
[00:27:56]  And we can move our positions and air defense to get better results.
[00:28:00]  This iPad gives full control of the situation because we have a system for using our defense tools.
[00:28:07]  If a Shahid needs to be stopped in Emirates, we can do it.

=== Operating Effective Maritime Fleets (02:46) ===

[00:28:13]  If it needs to be stopped in Europe or United Kingdom, we can do it.
[00:28:18]  It's a matter of technology, investment and cooperation.
[00:28:22]  And the fact that we got through this winter, which Russia tried to make deadly for all our families, shows that our solutions work.
[00:28:33]  The key is to keep improving them in line with the threats we face and those that are coming.
[00:28:41]  The evolution of threats never stops.
[00:28:44]  For example, your military bases in Cyprus, this is what our security proposal could look like.
[00:28:50]  Our experts would place interception teams and set up radars and acoustic coverage.
[00:28:56]  And this would all work.
[00:28:58]  If Iran launched a large-scale attack, similar to Russian attacks, we would guarantee protection.
[00:29:04]  This is the kind of reinforcement we offer, and it may soon be needed across Europe.
[00:29:10]  And drones can be launched not only from land, but also from ships at sea.
[00:29:16]  Such long-range strikes are no longer rare.
[00:29:19]  Different countries already use them.
[00:29:22]  And since European seas still have many targets from Russia's shadow fleet, launching drones from such vessels is no longer something unexpected.
[00:29:34]  Ukraine.
[00:29:35]  Ukraine didn't have a strong navy like Britain or some of our other partners.
[00:29:43]  But we have pushed what is left of Russia's fleet into distant base in the Black Sea, where their ships hide from Ukrainian sea drones.
[00:29:52]  This is a completely new security reality in our sea.
[00:29:56]  The Russian fleet, which was powerful, has no effective way to counter our drones.
[00:30:02]  Their defenses have been strong.
[00:30:04]  We do not deny that.
[00:30:06]  But our naval drone systems keep evolving and we focused on the speed of that evolution.
[00:30:13]  And we won.
[00:30:15]  One, one our sea.
[00:30:18]  We started with simple Kamikaze drones, then we built drones with turrets that can shoot down helicopters.
[00:30:26]  Now we have drones that can shoot down Russian fighter jets from the sea.
[00:30:30]  We have developed boats that carry other drones.
[00:30:34]  We also have boats that strike targets on land from the sea.
[00:30:38]  And we are developing more stable drones that can operate longer and more effectively at sea.
[00:30:44]  Soon, and not in the distant future, we will have systems that can operate even in ocean conditions.
[00:30:52]  We are also effectively working on underwater systems.
[00:30:57]  So facing threats in the Black.