Zelenskyy urges Dutch students not to take freedom for granted and always seek unity

One thing that all people and countries have in common is that they must not take whatever freedom they have for granted, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said while addressing students in The Hague via a live stream on Tuesday. “You have to protect it, you have to value it. And you have to understand what comes with your freedom,” he said. “And you have to always look for reasons for unity.”

Zelenskyy spoke of social media bubbles and misinformation making it easier and easier for the world to become divided. It is becoming almost second nature to live isolated from the worlds and lives of others and focus only on your own situation and problems. And countries like Russia take advantage of that, Zelenskyy said.

Russia is trying to make genocide politics the new normal. “They want to make genocide a new background that people can live with in their new bubbles. They want to freeze the war, turning shocking images into a day-to-day background tune.”

Ukraine is fighting that not only physically but also in seeking unity and partnerships with other countries, Zelenskyy said. He praised the Netherlands, in particular, for its role in this. “Your leadership, your participation, is helping us bring the world together for the sake of the common values. And this makes our defense stronger.”

Zelenskyy urged the students to continue that trend. Keep looking for friends and allies and working to overcome that which divides you, he said. “This will become your special strength.”

The Ukrainian president’s address was organized by the University of Leiden and The Hague University of Applied Sciences. He addressed two halls packed with students, and many also followed the speech online.

According to the two educational institutions, the speech suited the spirit of The Hague very well. “It is the city of peace, justice, and safety,” the universities told Omroep West.