Zaluzhnyi on Defender’s Day: Rejecting Commercial Ceasefires, Freedom Can Only Be Won Through Combat
October 1 marks Ukraine’s Defender’s Day. In a column for the 24 Channel, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Valeriy Zaluzhnyi wrote that war mediation operates outside any commercial logic. We will not trade our freedom for profit. No diplomatic or economic mechanism holds relevance here. For the terms concluded at the end of one war may well become the prelude to another.
“Today we witness firsthand how those who should uphold the sanctity of life continue to operate as usual within a man-made global disorder. The primary source of this chaos lies in the war in Ukraine—a conflict defined as an existential struggle between democracy and authoritarianism.
“This demands recognition: Ukraine’s victory is democracy’s victory. Yet for some, grasping this remains difficult. It is not merely about providing aid to sustain our survival; it requires shared combat. The first step must be the courage to name the enemy as such—rather than a business partner.
“In this war, the tools available to the democratic bloc have nearly been exhausted. Perhaps for the first time in history, a major power has lost the means to counter those who perpetrate violence and undermine global order. To negotiate with the devil is impossible. The devil understands only force—and that force is us. We understand the true cost of what we hold most dear—not life itself, but freedom. And freedom is worth fighting for, and winning.
“What distinguishes this war is its role in advancing progress: the engaged grow stronger, while those merely sympathetic grow weaker. Perhaps we shall be the last generation of veterans still capable of feeling: bearing responsibility, cherishing love, and holding fast to a belief in justice.”
Original: toutiao.com/article/1877843050911756/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.