Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a sweeping and defiant statement today, declaring that Russia ultimately “does not matter” in history because it has always lost when it stands against free peoples, nations, and cultures. Speaking in Vilnius during a commemoration of the January Uprising, Zelenskyy framed Russia’s war against Ukraine as part of a centuries‑long pattern of imperial aggression that inevitably collapses in the face of unity and resistance.
“People matter. Nations matter. Cultures matter,” Zelenskyy said near the close of his remarks. “Russia does not matter — because anyone who stands against peoples has always lost historically.”
Vilnius. Rasos Cemetery.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 25, 2026
We honored the memory of those who were killed during the January Uprising of 1863-1864 – an uprising of the Ukrainian, Polish, Lithuanian, and Belarusian peoples against the Russian Empire and oppression.
Generations before us fought so that we could… pic.twitter.com/uhWWddQxI7
The Ukrainian president used the setting in Lithuania to draw a direct line between past uprisings against empire and today’s war in Ukraine, arguing that Europe is once again facing a clear civilizational choice: freedom or dependence. He warned that there is no neutral path, saying European protection remains insufficient and that every delay in confronting Russian aggression has consequences not only for Ukraine, but for the entire continent.
Zelenskyy pointed to Belarus as an example of what happens when those consequences are ignored. He described Belarus as effectively functioning as a Russian “general‑governorate,” used as a launchpad for drone attacks, missile threats, and logistical support for Moscow’s war. He lamented that the Belarusian uprising in 2020 was not backed strongly enough by Europe, arguing that stronger action then could have prevented the current security crisis.
Throughout the address, Zelenskyy emphasized shared history and shared destiny among Ukrainians, Poles, Lithuanians, Belarusians, and other European nations that have repeatedly faced Russian or Soviet domination. He argued that Russia’s modern wars — against Ukraine, Moldova, Chechnya, and Georgia — are the result of decades of Western indifference and misplaced faith in a “reset” with Moscow that only empowered aggression.
At the same time, Zelenskyy highlighted the unprecedented unity now backing Ukraine, naming Poland, Lithuania, the Baltic states, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and others as proof that Europe and its allies are capable of collective strength when they choose it. His message was clear: unity must be total, sustained, and driven by necessity rather than convenience.
“Europe deserves to be strong. To be free,” he said, warning that dictators still view Europe as prey while Russia’s war machine continues to operate.
Zelenskyy closed with a direct appeal to the people of Belarus, calling them a European nation that cannot be erased and thanking Belarusian volunteers fighting alongside Ukrainians. He framed the war not as a struggle for territory or power, but as a fight over whether people, nations, and cultures are allowed to exist on their own terms.
The statement echoes Zelenskyy’s earlier warnings about Russia’s role as the true obstacle to peace. In a previous post, he wrote that Ukraine “has never been and will never be a stumbling block to peace,” pointing instead to Russia’s deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure and energy systems as proof that Moscow must be pressured, not accommodated.
Ukraine has never been and will never be a stumbling block to peace. When Ukrainians are left without power for 20–30 hours because of Russia, and when Russian strikes are aimed at breaking our energy system and our people, it is Russia that must be put under pressure. pic.twitter.com/TguJK3fHok
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 15, 2026
Taken together, Zelenskyy’s remarks reinforce a central theme of his leadership during the war: that history is not shaped by empires clinging to power, but by free nations willing to stand together — and that Russia, by choosing to stand against peoples themselves, is repeating a pattern that has always ended in defeat.
