“The best thing about heroes is that they always win at the end. And if they aren’t winning, then it’s not the end,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said as she addressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Western leaders in Kyiv on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
At the beginning of her speech, Frederiksen praised Ukraine’s resilience and called for immediate and increased support from Europe while
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“Dear Volodymyr, you and your countrymen have been fighting now for three long years,” she said. “You have defended not only your own country, but all of Europe. And I believe that none of us present in this room are able to put into words how grateful we are. But then we can show it in action.”
Frederiksen urged European nations to remove “all self-imposed red lines” and scale up military and financial assistance to Ukraine.
“Not tomorrow, but today,” she said. She called for direct support for weapons production in Ukraine, saying that “conditions for peace are to be set through strength,” and warning that a ceasefire without a lasting peace would only give Russia time to “rebuild, rearm, and relaunch an attack.”
Denmark has been financing Ukrainian weapon productions, with some European participation, via a mechanism commonly known as “The Danish Model.”
Death of Diplomacy
Frederiksen dismissed any notion of negotiating with Moscow without Ukraine’s full involvement, stating, “Nothing should be negotiated without Ukraine – not only at the table but in the center of the table.”
Expressing deep skepticism about Putin’s intentions, she said, “I have never believed that this war is primarily about Ukraine. You are paying the price for it, but this war is about Russia. It’s about the imperial dreams.”
Frederiksen made a strong case for Ukraine’s NATO membership, calling it “the strongest security guarantee” and “the easiest way forward, the cheapest way forward.”
Acknowledging that some allies oppose this, she asked, “If we cannot give you membership of NATO, and I think it’s the only way forward, then we have to find another way to provide Ukraine with a clear, long-term security guarantee.”
Concluding with a message of determination and urgency, Frederiksen said, “The best thing about heroes is that they always win at the end. And if they aren’t winning, then it’s not the end.”
She reaffirmed Denmark’s commitment: “We have to stand with Ukraine, and we have to stand with our continent.”
Warning that hesitation could be disastrous, she added, “We have a couple of months to take all necessary decisions. Otherwise, we’ll be too late. And being too late cannot be the conclusion.”
“It’s time to stand up for Ukraine, and it’s time to stand up for Europe. Slava Ukraini!” she concluded.
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