President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking via video link at the Democracy Summit 2023 on Wednesday, organized by U.S. President Joseph Biden, urged participants to preserve respect for democracy in countries where freedom has not yet won.

As the head of state noted in his video message, Russia has been at war with many democracies of the world for a long time, using mechanisms of disinformation, corruption, election interference, espionage, cybercrime, and currently also attempts to provoke a global energy and food crisis.

“The enemies of freedom have not lost a single year in recent decades! They channeled all their time and unlimited money, which they gained in trade with the free world, – to weaken and to corrupt and to undermine democracy. But have all the efforts of the free world been aimed at limiting the aggressive potential of tyrants and autocrats and at bringing them to legal responsibility for their crimes? Unfortunately – no. We have to fix it,” Zelenskyy said.

He stressed that “democracy must learn to be uncompromising in the face of evil.”

“First. We should not think how to save Putin's face … We should think how to preserve respect for democracy in those countries where freedom has yet to win,” the president said.

Second, according to Zelenskyy, “democracy must have all the weapons that will reliably guarantee the defeat of the aggressor.”

He also called on the Summit participants to intensify the process of freezing the assets of the Russian "wealthy", because “they must have a motive to act in defense of freedom, and to bring an end to this aggression and the Kremlin's terrorist rule.”

In addition, Zelenskyy called an unpleasant situation in which the adoption of sanctions against Russia is much slower than the Russian aggression itself.

“When our fighters repel the assaults near Bakhmut, they cannot wait for weeks before firing an artillery shot in response to the enemy's actions. The fire must be immediate and neutralize the threat. All our decisions should be just as quick. Democracy needs a victory. Now! This year! Not some other time. Not over time. Now! And we are able to ensure this. Ukraine and everyone who helps. But act, act please, colleagues!” the president summed up.