President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the upcoming winter will be "the most difficult" for the whole world and will decide the future of Ukraine and Europe.

“This will be the most difficult winter in the whole world. These will be 90 days that will be a test for our faith in victory. A test for our endurance and unity, for our ability to protect ourselves, the whole world, freedom and fundamental values for any person in the world. Russia is doing everything to break the resistance of Ukraine, the resistance of Europe and the world in 90 days of this winter,” he said, speaking at the 17th annual meeting of the Yalta European Strategy (YES) in Kyiv on Friday.

The meeting was organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.

Calling this period the "last argument" of Russia, Zelensky said that "there are 90 days ahead that will decide more than 30 years of Ukraine's Independence. 90 days, which will decide all the years of the EU's existence, will determine our future."

“We have no doubt that we can get through the winter without Russian energy resources. Not only Ukraine, but all reputable European states. But for this to happen, you need to be ready to prevent any Russian sabotage - armed or political, and it is very important to prevent disinformation steps by Russia. And therefore, we need even more coordination, firmness, and pressure on Russia,” he said.

To complete the dismantling of Russian influence, he said, "it is necessary now, before the decisive 90 days."

“During the autumn, it is necessary to strengthen sanctions on Russia, officials, banks, and companies as much as possible. You know all this. It is necessary to agree on all mechanisms for real limitation of Russian export income. It is necessary to provide all the legal and political bases for the implementation of an international compensation mechanism and the confiscation of Russian assets abroad to compensate for the losses caused by this war to the people of Ukraine. Maximum visa restrictions for the citizens of the Russian Federation are needed to encourage them to launch a visible anti-war movement,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky stressed that "we must protect our sky. This is important in winter, when enterprises and infrastructure that provide people with heat and electricity can and will become targets of Russian missiles. Now is the time for partners to fulfill their obligations - to help Ukraine with systemic air defense."

Also, according to him, “now is the time to end the Russia-created crisis at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The threat of a radiation disaster is definitely not what the European Union, Turkey and other states - those in the directions of the wind that can spread radiation pollution - should enter the winter with. But something else is also important - the stable operation of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in the framework of the Ukrainian energy system can become one of the key, important elements of guaranteeing stable energy consumption by Europe during these 90 days.”

We must, he noted, prepare our societies for real risks.

“The winter will be difficult for everyone - from Latvia and Poland to Britain and the United States. But we can make this winter the most difficult for Russia, for the one who is responsible for all the created problems - military, social, price problems, energy problems and many others. We can make the path to our victory clearer after these 90 days,” the president said.

He stressed that “after these 90 days, real security begins for decades from all those threats that are so painfully experienced now. When we endure all this, our neighbor will never be able to do anything to all of us. Russia has already embarked on the path of its historic defeat - and the clarity of this path, the contours of its defeat will become obvious after these 90 days. If we are all honest and persevere. All who value peace more than war.”

Zelensky thinks that “economic unification in Europe has been achieved. I believe that political unification in Europe has been achieved. But now a real value-based unification of the entire continent is being achieved - and, by the way, thanks to Ukraine as well. The last barriers that existed between European countries are disappearing - and this is thanks to the fact that Europe really protects freedom.”

He said that “Russia creates the illusion that Europeans must make a choice.” “Such a difficult choice between prices and values, between freedom and security, between independence and peace. But there is no such choice. It is an impossible choice. When values are weak, prices are sky high. When freedom suffers, there is no security. When independence is lost, peace is impossible. Therefore, we must not deviate from our path, we have no right to get tired, God forbid, of Ukraine and stop. We must fight. Endure the winter. Help those who are weaker. Protect those who need protection more. Limit ourselves in what can be limited. And limit Russia in everything that should limit it,” the president said.

“This winter we must do absolutely everything to say in the spring: we are fully ready to start negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the European Union. It will be a historic moment, a historic time - when it will be an honor for Europe to welcome our state. The state that wins,“ he stated.