Myroslava Shcherbatiuk- Ambassador of Ukraine to Jordan

On August 24, Ukraine will celebrate the 35th anniversary of its independence. Ukraine reemerged as an independent country on the world map in 1991, but this was preceded by centuries of struggle of Ukrainians for the right to have a state of their own.
Today, their struggle for independence continues. For the past 12 years, following Russia’s occupation of Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in 2014, Ukrainians have been heroically defending their independence against Russian aggression, with weapons in their hands.

It is a fight for every Ukrainian: not only for the fundamentals of independence — freedom, dignity, the right to have a sovereign state, to speak Ukrainian on their own land, to pray in their own church, and to follow their civilizational choice — a European future — but, above all, a fight for survival as a nation. That is why this struggle is existential for Ukrainians living in Ukraine and for millions of Ukrainians around the world, for whom Ukraine is a lighthouse, a shelter, and the cradle of their unique identity. The stakes are high. If there is no Ukraine, there will be no Ukrainians. For this reason, Ukrainians will never be “tired” of this fight.

Unable to achieve victory on the battlefield, Moscow is seeking success deep inside Ukraine by striking energy infrastructure, residential areas, and ports. Putin is driving his war of aggression into a new spiral of brutality. Knowing that Ukraine’s Achilles’ heel is currently its shortage of ballistic-missile interceptors, the Russian dictator, having tasted blood, is terrorizing Ukraine’s civilian population with systematic airstrikes, seemingly taking a monstrous, perverse pleasure in the suffering they cause. These airstrikes take the lives of thousands of innocent and defenseless Ukrainian women, children, and elderly people and destroy thousands of peaceful homes. His cold calculation is as simple as Russian valenki: where tanks and soldiers cannot pass, missiles will reach their targets and, sooner or later, force Ukrainians exhausted by terror to flee their homes in search of security.

But instead of fleeing in fear, Ukrainians have demonstrated extraordinary resilience, unity, self-mobilization, an ability to find common ground, and, above all, an ability to survive. Most importantly, Ukrainians have shattered one of the foundations of Russia’s willingness to continue the war — the illusion of impunity.

Over the past 4 years, Russia has failed to fully occupy even one of Ukraine’s regions, while losing around 1.5 million soldiers. At the same time, Ukraine’s medium-range and deep-strike capabilities are significantly limiting Russia’s ability to expand its aggression. Moreover, from January through August this year, the Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted an effective offensive operation in southeastern Ukraine. As a result, 745 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory have been liberated.

Russia’s enormous battlefield losses have another disturbing consequence that directly concerns countries far beyond Europe. Moscow has increasingly turned to recruiting foreign nationals, including citizens of some African and Middle Eastern states, to replenish its forces. Some are attracted by financial incentives, while others are reportedly lured to Russia by promises of civilian jobs or education, only to find themselves pushed into military service and sent to the front. This cynical exploitation of economic vulnerability demonstrates once again that Russia’s war against Ukraine is not confined to Europe — its human consequences reach far beyond Ukraine’s borders.

There is also another side of this issue. Russia claims to be enjoying the support from the majority of the Global South because it is waging a “just” war against “the colonial West”. On the contrary by recruiting and exploiting foreign nationals in its aggression against an independent country Russia acts as a colonial state and for sure doesn’t make this world more just.

Ukraine is no longer merely seeking security. Ukrainians are helping to shape it globally. More than 4 years of full-scale war have created a unique environment for real-time technological evolution under combat conditions. Ukraine’s unique battlefield experience, resilient defense capabilities, and rapid innovation have become strategic assets. Our state has developed expertise in protecting critical infrastructure from massive and continuous attacks, intercepting low-visibility aerial threats, conducting advanced electronic warfare, and managing airspace in highly saturated environments.

This experience is directly relevant to the Middle East and the Gulf. Iranian-made Shahed-type drones, now used in attacks across the region, are the same systems that have been extensively deployed against Ukraine. Ukraine has already offered these states its expertise and relevant solutions in the form of integrated, adaptable systems and is developing cooperation in this field.

In addition to being a security contributor, Ukraine continues to play a vital role in global food security, providing food for approximately 400 million people worldwide. Within the framework of the Food from Ukraine programme, launched by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, more than 330,000 tonnes of Ukrainian food have already reached 20 countries across Africa, the Middle East — including Palestine and Syria — Asia, and Latin America, helping those facing the most acute food crises.

Nevertheless, Russia is trying to turn hunger into a tool of war. Cumulative losses in Ukraine’s agricultural sector since 2022 have exceeded USD 90 billion, while Ukraine’s arable land has decreased by nearly a quarter.

Since the first day of its full-scale military invasion, Russia has done everything possible to block Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea. It has intensified attacks on port infrastructure, commercial vessels, and grain storage facilities and mined sea routes in an attempt to reduce Ukraine’s food-export capacity. Over the past 4,5 years, Russia has destroyed at least 1,054 port infrastructure facilities and attacked 232 civilian vessels, more than 30 of them during the summer of 2026 alone. These attacks have killed or injured 307 Ukrainian and foreign nationals, underscoring Russia’s systematic assault on maritime security and freedom of navigation.

Today, Ukraine is paying a high demographic price for its independence. Millions of Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homeland. Many now live in Europe, making a positive contribution to the economies of their host countries. In some countries, this contribution exceeds the costs borne by the state in supporting Ukrainian refugees. Hard-working Ukrainians have proved that they are not a burden, but an asset to the societies and economies into which they have successfully integrated.

Yet the gravest suffering is endured by Ukrainians living under Russian occupation, prisoners of war held in Russian captivity, and illegally detained civilians. The Russian Federation’s mistreatment of detainees and prisoners of war — marked by torture, abuse, and rights violations — is systematic, intentional, and driven by Russia’s policy of violence and disregard for human rights. Aimed at degrading dignity, forcing compliance, or extracting confessions, these actions inflict deep physical and psychological trauma.

The Kremlin regime continues the criminal practice of forcibly transferring and unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children and, in every possible way, impedes their repatriation and reunification with their families in Ukraine. As of today, Ukraine has documented more than 20,610 cases of unlawful deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The real number is far higher, potentially reaching hundreds of thousands. Once deported, Ukrainian children are subjected to further illegal acts: their citizenship is changed, they are transferred to Russian families, and their attempts to leave Russia are rejected.

This is not merely the physical abduction of children; it is a centralized attempt to erase their Ukrainian identity. Russian officials actively participate in this genocidal campaign, destroying deported children’s connections to Ukraine and any memories of it. These actions represent a deliberate ethnic cleansing campaign in violation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Russia’s war crimes are well documented, and justice is inevitable. Ukraine will not stop until it brings its people home. It will not stop until the perpetrators of these atrocities are held accountable, nor will it allow the world to forget these crimes. A strong collective response and appropriate action by the international community are essential in this regard.

Ukraine’s independence today is also a credit to its partner states — those that continue to provide much-needed support, that still believe in humanity and refuse to become numb to human suffering, that uphold international law and its fundamental principles, and that respect sovereignty and the inviolability of borders while rejecting aggression. These principles matter not only for Ukraine but also resonate in the Middle East and in all regions of the world suffering from conflict.

Ukraine deeply appreciates Jordan’s principled position in defence of Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and internationally recognized borders. Ukraine is grateful for the Kingdom’s vote in favour of the UN General Assembly Resolution “Support for lasting peace for Ukraine,” adopted on February 24, 2026, which, among other things, called for a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire, the complete exchange of prisoners of war, and the return of unlawfully detained civilians and deported children.

Ukraine has never been, and will never be, an obstacle to peace. It consistently seeks a diplomatic path towards a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace, demonstrating readiness for an immediate, unconditional, and comprehensive ceasefire. Ukraine’s proposals are realistic and achievable. Its red lines remain unchanged: respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, the right to choose its alliances, and no limitations on its defense capabilities. Without these fundamental principles, Ukraine cannot be considered a genuinely independent state.

Ukraine will achieve a sustainable and just peace. This is not just a goal — it is exactly what Ukrainians want and must pass on as a legacy to their children and grandchildren: a strong Ukraine, an equal Ukraine, a European Ukraine, an independent Ukraine.