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(As delivered)

Dear veterans,
Dear family members,
Dear friends and supporters of Ukraine.
Dear President, dear Volodymyr.

It’s a privilege to be here today,
two days before your Independence Day,
to honour Ukraine’s heroes.
The defenders of this great nation.

For eleven long years,
brave Ukrainian men and women have been on the frontline.
Resisting Russian aggression.

For three and a half years of full-scale war,
hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have taken up arms.
To defend everything you hold dear.

From all walks of life.
Professional soldiers, politicians,
medics, musicians,
engineers, entrepreneurs.

You show what it means to put service over self.
To stand up.
And answer your nation’s call.

We are here today to thank you for your service and sacrifice.
And to thank your friends and relatives for their support.
No one has been untouched by this brutal war.

I visited brave Ukrainian defenders in Kharkiv in 2024,
when I was Dutch Prime Minister.
And I had the honour to meet wounded members of the armed services, on visits to Kyiv and Odessa.

In fact, my first visit as Secretary General of NATO was to Kyiv,
just days after I arrived at NATO.

Because I want to send the message.
Loud and clear.
NATO stands with Ukraine.

We stood with you from the beginning.
And we stand with you now.
And we will stand with you throughout the challenges ahead.
NATO Allies and partners have provided unprecedented
military support to Ukraine.
Including critical air defences, ammunition,
armoured vehicles and fighter jets.

We continue to support you through our office in Kyiv,
our security assistance and training command,
our joint lessons learned centre,
and much more.

Last month, President Trump and I launched a new initiative,
to get large supplies of US lethal weapons to Ukraine quickly.

A number of European Allies have already provided more than 1.5 billion dollars.

NATO Allies are also working hard to end this brutal war.
Because no one deserves peace more than Ukraine.

I welcome President Trump’s tireless efforts to end the bloodshed and bring Putin to the table.
Because ultimately the only way to end the fighting is by talking.
But it’s time for Russia to stop the killing.
It’s time for Putin to show he’s serious.

And it’s time for concrete steps towards a just and lasting peace.
And that is exactly what we are working on today, and tomorrow, and these weeks.

President Trump hosted President Zelenskyy along with several European leaders on Monday. And we discussed next steps following the meeting President Trump held with Putin, just a few days before.

We focused indeed, as the President said, on security guarantees for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s friends and partners will here work together. Europe, the Europeans, the US and Ukraine, so that it is clear to all that any peace will last.

Robust security guarantees, along with your strong Ukrainian armed forces will deter aggression and protect the peace.
And in all this, we stand with you.

The mark of any great nation is how it treats its veterans.

And while many of you have left the armed forces,
rest assured, we will not leave you behind.

NATO’s cooperation with the Ministry of Veterans Affairs dates back to 2018.

And we provide substantial support through our comprehensive assistance package.
Including funding for psychological rehabilitation and mental health.
A crisis support hotline for veterans and their families.
And a network of five rehabilitation centres across Ukraine.
To help heal the wounds, seen and unseen.

NATO has also been a proud sponsor of the Ukrainian national team in the Invictus Games since 2017.
I was honoured, as Dutch Prime Minister, to welcome these incredible athletes to the games in my home town, The Hague, a few years ago.
They are a testament of triumph over adversity.

Ukraine’s freedom is built on the broad shoulders of its veterans.
And your bright future will be built on them too.

Even after leaving active service, we know that your service to your country does not end there.

Veterans play an important role in politics and local communities.
You will play a pivotal role in shaping your country’s future.
And the experience of Ukrainian veterans will be tremendously important,
as we transform our approach to transatlantic defence.

On the anniversary of the full-scale war,
we welcomed members of Ukraine’s cultural armed forces
to the NATO Headquarters.

Including Olha, a violinist.
And Yurii, a singer.

Both have returned to active duty,
after being seriously injured in battle.

And both are now using their voices and their instruments.
To tell the story of Ukraine’s resilience and determination to the world.

Dear friends, dear veterans.

Courage will forever have a name,
Ukraine.

And it will forever wear [with] pride the colours,
yellow and blue.

You have inspired the world with your bravery.

And I say it once again.
Loud and clear.
NATO stands with you.

Slava Ukraini.