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CNN International: Zelenskyy Makes His First Visit To The U.K. Since Russia's Invasion; Zelenskyy Addresses British Parliament. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired February 08, 2023 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:00:26]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Bianca Nobilo in London in Max Foster today. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in the UK right now on a surprise visit where he's set to address address Parliament at any moment. He arrived several hours ago and was greeted by the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

You can see a photo here posted to Rishi Sunak's Twitter of them embracing on the tarmac. Both leaders later held talks at Downing Street. It's Mr. Zelenskyy's second trip outside Ukraine since Russia's invasion nearly one year ago now. And it comes as Kyiv is urging the West to send more weapons ahead of an expected renewed Russian offensive.

CNN's Nic Robertson joins me now live from outside parliament. Actually, Nic, we're just going to return to you because I believe now we have a shot of President Zelenskyy walking into Westminster Hall. There he is. Westminster Hall being the oldest part of the Houses of Parliament, 900 years old, where many of the world's great historical figures and dignitaries have addressed parliament, such as Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, and now President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

And you can see President Zelenskyy receiving rapturous applause from members of parliament and being flanked by the Speaker of the House of Commons.

LINDSAY HOYLE, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS: Mr. President, (Speaking Foreign Language). Welcome. Not many people stood here today, in this significant setting, will realize that our friendship began on the 8th of October 2020 when you were the first ever head of state, that I met, the speaker. We hit it off immediately, with much laughter, over an English afternoon tea, and of course, surely cakes.

And we forged an instant bond despite wearing masks and being socially distance at the opposite ends of a large stable, because like the rest of Europe, we're working out how to deal with COVID. Little did we know the relationship would grow in such turbulent times.

On the 24th of February 2022, the second invasion of Ukraine began. On the 8th of March 2022, there was another first for us both. I suspended the House of Commons so that you could address in Ukrainian through the screens in our chamber, which we still refer to them as the Zelenskyy's screens. The atmosphere was electrified, you could hear a pin drop before you came online, a very, very rare thing in the House of Commons.

You spelled out the horrors of the first 13 days of war. Your speech was devastating and powerful. Today, on the 8th of February 2023, no deep into the war. We are honored that you put yourself at risk to address us and again, shine a light on the fight your country is still fighting for its survival.

This hall has been the place of many great historical events. Your presence here today adds another to them. The war, as you know better than any of us, has lasted for nearly. As you told us last year, this is a war Ukraine did not start and did not work. But it is a war you've had to fight and our commitment to support you and your people has not wavered.

I was considering what can be said at this important occasion. I thought back to the 1990s then we hoped that all countries that emerge from the former Soviet Union could secure freedom and prosperity.

[08:05:01]

There was a moment of hope over that time and we knew it will be a long time that each country could choose its own destiny. It is a tragedy that Ukraine's efforts to bring freedom, prosperity to its people has been met with war and death.

Last year, building on our friendship, I welcome your wife, Madam Zelenska to Parliament to open deliberately a provocative exhibition. I wanted to ensure the experience of your people is kept at the forefront of our minds. I do not believe any of us in this room were complacent about the reality of conflict.

But those displays shocked us. The images stayed with us. They brought home the horrors of war, horrors inflicted on your people, fighters, civilians alike, horrors which cannot be avoided or denied. I applaud Ukraine's refusal to forget what is you and your people are fighting for.

In the words of Eurocranian (ph), Eurovision winners. Kalush Orchestra, they said, I always find my way home, even if all roads are destroyed. Fighting for a country is not fight -- simply fighting for territory. It is a fight for home and for an ideal.

The endurance of the people, the people of Ukraine honors those ideals. The refusal to allow war to destroy the humanity, honors their ideals. Last -- right -- quite rightly, last year, you said Ukrainians have become big over the 13 days of this war. You are become even bigger in your determination, not just to fight for your country, but to stand by the ideals you are fighting for.

We will not give up on those ideals. We will continue to support you against the Russian aggressor. I then pledge here today, in front of all of you to all I can to keep the plight of Ukraine in the spotlight.

Later this year, U.K. and Ukraine will be united in music. But we will always be united in unwavering believe in the power of democracy. Slava Ukraini. Mr. President, please.

(APPLAUSE)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Thank you so much. Thank you.

The people of them, United Kingdom and the honorable representatives, all the people of England and Scotland, of Wales and Northern Ireland. Of all the lands which have been home to brave souls, since Europe came into existence.

I have come here and stand before you on behalf of the brave, on behalf of our warriors, who are now in the trenches under enemy artillery fire, on behalf of our air gunners, and every defender of the sky who protects Ukraine against enemy aircraft and missiles. On behalf of our 10 command, who fight to restore our Ukrainian borders, on behalf of our conscripts who are being trained now, including here in Britain. Thank you, Britain

(APPLAUSE)

And who will be then deployed to the frontline, frontline, skilled, equipped and eager to win. On behalf of every father and every mother who are waiting for their brave sons and brave daughters back home from the war.

Mr. Speaker, you may I think well remember as roughly more than two years, two years ago, we met with you here in parliament where a donor was for me and we -- I remember we enjoyed tea.

[08:10:06]

We talked of course. We talked a lot about our people and our -- both our countries throughout the British and Ukrainian political traditions. Mr. Prime Minister, Rishi, when we had our meeting today, and I said to you that I would tell you -- I will tell a story in my address to the parliament and a story about my feelings on my first visit to London as president in autumn 2020.

The program was packed, Royal Highnesses William and Catherine, and Buckingham Palace and aircraft, carrier of the Royal Navy, the Westminster, of course, Downing Street, and of course, the war rooms and beer as an arm cheer in the war room. There are famous Churchills armchair and they guide, smiled and offered me to sit down on this armchair from which were orders have been given.

And he asked me, how did I feel? And I said that I suddenly felt something. But it is only now that I know what the feeling was. And all Ukrainians know it perfectly well too, it is the feeling of how bravery takes you through the most unimaginable hardships to finally reward you with victory.

(APPLAUSE)

Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your bravery. Thank you very much. From all of us. Yes, please. That is for you. All applause for you.

London has stood with Kyiv since day one. From the fewest seconds and minutes of the full-scale war, Great Britain, you extended your helping hand when the world have not yet come to understand how to react. Boris, you got others united when it seemed absolutely, absolutely impossible. Thank you.

You, all of you, you all showed your grit and character back then, strong British character. You didn't compromise Ukraine. And, hence, you didn't compromise your ideals. And thus, you didn't compromise the spirit of this great islands. Thank you very much.

(APPLAUSE)

And, of course, of course, everybody understand that our Congress knew absolutely different times. Our nation's defended freedom in the Second World War, the Iron Curtain divided us. Our people went through crisis and grows through inflation and periods of social losses and social gains. It was tough, but we always found strength and stamina to move ahead and achieve results.

This is the bedrock of our land and your traditions. Ukrainians and Brits defeated the fear of war and have the time to enjoy peace no matter what we encountered on different stages of our and your formidable history. And you, you and us and the whole mankind achieved similar result. Evil lost.

(APPLAUSE)

[08:15:17]

Evil lost. We will always come out on top of evil. These lies at the core of our but also your traditions. However, the horizon never stays clear for a while. Once the old evil is defeated, the new one is attempting to rise its head. Do you have a feeling that the evil will crumble once again?

I can see in your eyes now, we think the same way as you do. We know freedom will win.

(APPLAUSE)

We know, we know Russia will lose.

(APPLAUSE)

And we we really know that victory, that victory will change the world. And this will be a change that the walk (ph) has long needed. The United Kingdom is marching with us towards the most, I think, the most important victory of our lifetime. It will be a victory over the very idea of the war. After we win together any aggressor, it doesn't matter big or small, we'll know what awaits him if he attacks international order.

Any aggressor, any aggressor who will try to push the boundaries by force, who will inflict destruction and deaths on other peoples, who will try to endure his dictatorship at the expense of other people's blood in criminal and unprovoked wars at the Kremlin, thus, any aggressor is going to lose.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have already achieved remarkable results. And we must make every effort to turn our achievements into the foundations of the future global security, architecture. The world, the world needs your leadership, Britain, just as it needs Ukrainian bravery.

(APPLAUSE)

When the full-scale invasion began, we together with you, Britain and United States and other allies formed a true coalition of friends, that is very important. You were among those where if you could have helped before the large-scale invasion began, exactly as it will be necessary every time in the future to prevent aggression from happening.

Your help was preventive. We must take these principles of preventive aid to those who are threatened with aggression and preventive sanctions against those who threatened aggression as basic principles of the world anti-war policy. We created a coalition of NLAW. Thank you. Of NLAW and javelin that stopped the advance of the Russian army from the first day of the invasion.

(APPLAUSE)

We build the coalition of artillery rounds and the coalition of air defense which allow us to save the lives of our children, of our people, of our civilians, our women, our elderly, and our cities from Russian atrocious occupation and missile terror. We put together a powerful sanction coalition.

And your leadership is protecting international legal order through sanctions against a terrorist state cannot be questioned. And we have to steadily, to steadily continue along this way until Russia is deprived of any possibility to finance the war.

[08:20:12]

Most importantly, together with G7, we brought about a coalition of values, a coalition that protects the rule-based war to order and human rights. A coalition that will work in such a way that over time, there will simply be no gray areas in the world in which human life doesn't matter.

In order for it to be so, there must be justice. Anyone who invests in terror must be held accountable. Anyone, anyone who invests in violence must compensate those who have suffered from terror.

(APPLAUSE) Terror, aggression or other forms of state violence, our proposals for the creation of the special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine, and special compensation mechanism, which will compensate (ph) war losses at the expense of Russian assets are based on such, on such principles.

Justice is one of 10 elements of the peace formula proposed by Ukraine and supported by Britain. I thank you for your readiness to invoke the formula. Thank you, Prime Minister, thank you very much.

As I already mentioned, Ukrainian soldiers are being trained in Britain in particular to operate challengers. Your main battle tanks, and its attack coalition in action. And I thank you, thank you, Rishi. Thank you very much for this powerful defensive step for tank assistance. Thank you.

The coalition of long-range missiles is the latest of all, it will allow us to make the evil, evil completely retreat from our country by destroying its headways deep in the occupied territories. And it's not just -- I'm not speaking just about weapons. We prove together, that the world truely helps those who are brave in defending freedom. And thus, paves, paves the way for a new history.

A history of the world, history of the world that knows how to be quick in help. Who knows how to be effective in defense. Who knows how to remain principled in dark hours. Who implements its treatise and arrangements in good faith. Who does not allow perpetrators to enjoy, to enjoy immunity. Who knows how to overcome veto when it's abused? Who knows no fear and who knows how to win. This shall be the new reality of the free world, I'm sure.

(APPLAUSE)

However, evil, evil, evil is still around today and the battle continues. Yes, we know how it's going to end and how we are going to feel on the day victory comes. Every day we continue to pay, to pay with lives. Pain and tears of bringing -- for bringing victory closer with the lives of our people, our heroes, whom we lose in battles.

With the lives of our heroes who take life and death risks every day to save as many of our soldiers and civilians as possible.

[08:25:12]

And today, I will have the honor to be received by his Majesty, the King. It will be a truly special moment for me, for our country. And in particular because I will convey to him from all Ukrainians, the wars of gratitude for the support his Majesty's showed to them when he was still the Prince of Wales.

And I also intends to tell him something that is, I think, that is very, very, very important, not only for the future of Ukraine, but also for the future of Europe, and Britain, and Britain. The King is an Air Force pilot. And in Ukraine, today, every Air Force pilot is a king.

(APPLAUSE)

For us, just for us, for our families, because they are so few, they are so precious, that we, the servants of our kings do everything possible and impossible to make the world provide us with modern planes to empower and protect pilots who will be protecting us. And I'm proud of our Air Force and I brought a present from them to you, Great Britain.

Yes, please. Open, please. Yes. Yes. To the Speaker. Yes, Speaker.

(APPLAUSE)

And it's -- I will explain. The helmet of a real Ukrainian pilot. He's one of our most successful Asus (ph) and he's one of our kings. And the writing on the helmet reads, "We have freedom. Give us wings to protect it."

(APPLAUSE)

I trust this symbol would help us for our next coalition, coalition of the planes and I appeal to you and the world was simple and yet most important words, combat aircrafts for Ukraine. Wings for freedom.

(APPLAUSE)

Great Britain, Great Britain, you and us both struggle for peace. But instead of we are forced to face the range that seeks to deprive us of peace and everything else, that is valuable in life. Unfortunately, it is in human nature to allow evil nature (ph), it then stands up against humanity.

It then destroys and kills, it launches aggressions and breaks people's lives. You and us have already fought together again against such evil. You and us already have the experience of defeating the evil that is generated by human nature.

I'm not saying there will be no more wars after the war ends. No, it is impossible to completely erase evil from human nature. Yet, it is in our power to guarantee with words and deeds that the light side of human nature will prevail, the side you and us share.