Before an audience of over 200 people, Yushchenko placed Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine into historical perspective. According to him, it is the 24th time Russia has waged war against the Ukrainian people. He described Russia as a nation that cannot exist without bloodshed and emphasised that Ukraine’s future does not lie alongside a criminal regime, but firmly within Europe – where, he stated, Ukrainians have belonged for generations.
The former Ukrainian president declared that Ukraine can count on the support of 54 democratic nations worldwide. These nations, he said, form a powerful alliance around Ukraine, an alliance that cannot be defeated: “We can never accept Russian slavery.”
Yushchenko, who served as president from 2005 to 2010 and is widely recognised as a key figure behind the Euromaidan movement from 2013 and 2014 that pivoted Ukraine away from Moscow, did not mince words about Russian President Vladimir Putin. He asserted that Putin will eventually be held accountable for his crimes.
On the question of how peace might be achieved, whether through military victory or diplomatic settlement, Yushchenko said that any future peace must be rock-solid and enduring. He expressed cautious optimism about recent statements made by US President Donald Trump, noting that Trump appears less enamoured with what he described as Putin’s lies and may be beginning to see the situation in a more grounded way.
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However, Yushchenko made clear that there is one red line Trump must not cross: the idea of ceding any Ukrainian territory to Russia – including Crimea. He rejected this outright, stating that Ukraine cannot afford to give up land.
“Putin wants to destroy us”, he stressed, adding: “We want to live. That kind of compromise is out of the question.”
Commenting on a recent agreement between Kyiv and Washington, which grants the US access to Ukrainian natural resources such as oil and rare earth elements, Yushchenko acknowledged that details still need to be negotiated and implemented over the coming decade but noted that the framework has generally evolved in Ukraine’s favour.
Yushchenko also reaffirmed his longstanding support for Ukraine’s membership in both NATO and the European Union. When asked whether he preferred one over the other, he smiled and replied that he supports both. He pointed to what he sees as a promising shift in Europe, toward building its own security policy in close coordination with NATO – a vision he strongly endorses.
Finally, the former president criticised former German leaders, such as Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel, for having bolstered Putin politically and economically through energy imports from Russia. He blamed Europe’s reliance on gas via Nord Stream 1 and 2 for helping to fund the current war.
in 2004, Yushchenko suffered a poisoning attack when he was exposed to dioxin, a highly toxic chemical, which left his face disfigured and caused serious health complications. He and his supporters suspected Russian agents or pro-Russian elements within Ukraine’s security services were behind the poisoning, though no one was ever officially charged or convicted.
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