 Good evening. I am Anne McNaughton, Director of the A&U Centre for European Studies here at the Australian National University. I begin by acknowledging all First Nations peoples on whose lands and over whose airways we are meeting this evening. I acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Nambri people and pay my respects to all First Nations peoples joining us tonight. Distinguished guests, friends and colleagues here and across Australia, welcome. We are live from the Wellan Hall here at the Australian National University in Canberra, talking to audiences across the nation. It is wonderful that we are joined by so many university students across 20 Australian universities online. I also welcome the students who are joining us in-house tonight from the A&U and also from our local partner universities here in Canberra. We are absolutely honoured to hear this evening from His Excellency Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, who will join us shortly. It is now my great pleasure to introduce the Honourable Julie Bishop, Chancellor of the Australian National University and former Foreign Minister of Australia. Chancellor, the floor is yours. Thank you, Anne. I too acknowledge and celebrate the First Nations people on whose traditional lands we meet the Ngunnawal Nambri people and pay respects to Elders past and present. On behalf of the Australian National University and together with our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian Schmidt, I welcome you here to Wellan Hall, a capacity audience and of course to those joining us online, particularly the students from 21 universities across Australia. I acknowledge the presence of the Honourable Tim Watts, the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Simon Birmingham, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Senator David Vann, and other distinguished guests and members of our diplomatic corps, and particularly His Excellency, the Ambassador of Ukraine, Vasyl Muroshnychenko. Russia's invasion of the sovereign and independent state of Ukraine on the 24th of February this year was an affront to humanity and to freedom. Many people have lost their lives. Many more have been injured. Communities are suffering. Cities and towns have been ravaged and the destruction continues. While Russia's invasion evoked dark and grisly memories of previous conflicts when sovereign boundaries were redrawn through the use of military force. This is also a direct challenge to the international rules-based order that has evolved since the Second World War, that network of treaties and conventions and norms underpinned by international law designed to prevent nations imposing their will on other nations through coercion and military might. Russia is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and thus has a particular responsibility to uphold international peace and security. Yet its actions have betrayed the trust of every nation around the world. Of course, this invasion commenced eight years ago when Russia backed separatists, so-called, in eastern Ukraine and deployed advanced weapons systems across its border. We in Australia know that because on the 17th of July 2014 a Russian surface-to-air book missile brought down Malaysian Airlines MH-17, a civilian aircraft over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers and crew including 38 Australians. Families in Australia, the Netherlands, Malaysia and other countries around the world continue to grieve and yet Russia still has not accepted responsibility as a perpetrator of this atrocity. Ukraine's leader has stood firm in the face of Russian aggression. Rallying his people through his presence and his words, supporting his military as they inflict significant losses on the invading forces, his energy, his determination, his advocacy for freedom against tyranny has inspired people around the world. And it is our great honour that he has agreed to participate in this event this evening. Please join with me in welcoming the President of Ukraine, his Excellency, Lotomir Zelensky. Thank you so much. Dear Mrs. Chancellor of the Australian National University, the teachers and students all the present, I know that overall quantity of participants in these translations and these broadcasts are more than 20 universities of Australia and I thank you for this opportunity to have this speech with you. We have 161st day of the full scale war which was launched by Russian Federation against Ukraine. Every day world is shocked by the new messages about new Russian atrocities. This shouldn't be a common thing for the world because it would mean that world has put up with it. A lot of people were concerned and still concerned, concerned, has concern about what they need to do, that they should be delicate and not to anger Russia, that Russia would have an opportunity to save the face. And it has to be an obvious for everyone that that doesn't have, doesn't matter at all. We cannot anger those who is already insane. It is impossible to save the face of those who doesn't want it by itself. Russian Federation openly demonstrated to all the nations. It's been already 161 days. It's important not to forget none of those days. World constantly speaks about the Russian section only in the context of the later, let's say, topical atrocity. But now world needs to put it all together and recognize and realize the one who wants to save its face and wipe the peaceful villages and city out of the face of the earth. Doesn't launch them from the multi-launch rocket system every day and every night. Doesn't hit the households. Doesn't hit with cruise missiles. Doesn't hit the living quarters with class-stimulation and phosphorus bombs. Doesn't launch the rockets to the Kramatov railway station. For example, where the hundreds of people were waiting for a vacation. Doesn't launch rockets to the Vinitsa city center. Where hundreds of people were just walking. Doesn't launch rockets in the mall in Kremenchuk. Where hundreds of people were just buying food or things. Doesn't drop pumps on the birth houses and hospitals. On the kindergarten schools, universities, on museum theaters and temples. Doesn't target the artillery against cemeteries. And doesn't strike with rockets on the memorial complex of Holocaust victims in Babiyar. The one who wants to save its face doesn't commit the hundreds, the thousands of military crimes. And crimes against humanity doesn't commit the massive executions of the peaceful population. Doesn't put the handcuffs on the peaceful people. Doesn't put them on their knees and kill them with a shot in their back. Doesn't rape the wives on the eyes of their own children. And children on the eyes of their own mothers. The one who wants to save their face wouldn't do the blockages of the occupied cities. Wouldn't deprave the people of food and portable water, of necessary medical supplies. Wouldn't deprave people of heat, of warmth, of communication, of the slightest hope. Doesn't show the humanitarian corridors. Doesn't deliver people to the coercive labor. Doesn't kidnap children, separating families. Doesn't leave the decades, decades of collective graves. Those who wants to save his face doesn't hijack. The nuclear stations doesn't hit the energy blocks with tanks. Doesn't threaten to do the nuclear war. An energy crisis doesn't block the ports and ships with wheat. Creating the threat of the massive famine on the planet. And by signing a document on the blocking of the ports and free passage of the ships doesn't shoot ports, doesn't shell ports. And the next day of the signature, the one who wants to save his face doesn't bring with him the mobile cremateurs to destroy bodies and hide its own atrocities, doesn't have attitude to his own soldiers as to cannon fodder doesn't do massive tortures, massive atrocities and attacks. The one who lost his mind, his heart, his conscious dignity, all that human has, this is the one who lost it long ago. Today's Russia has lost his face long ago. It has happened not yesterday, not the day before yesterday and not the day and not this weekend, this week. This has been proven a lot and this mask has been already disguised, the mask of peacekeeper with the mask with the holes for the eyes and mouth, the mask who were the terrorists. And the difference between terrorists in Russia is that the terrorists hold they're accountable for the action and Russia cannot do even that and try to use other people of their atrocities, separate countries and the whole world. And now this world is before the choice. It's been a long choice to someone it's uncomfortable and to someone it's unavoidable. You cannot hide of this choice, you cannot somehow avoid it. For 161 days of full scale war in Europe, the humanity has come through 161 points of unreturning. For many countries there is time where they should give up their own interest before the interest of the planet or otherwise both of them, the first and the second would be threatened because of the terrorist, of the world terrorist. Any trade, any business or any other forms of preparation in the Russian Federation today, most of all, will bear the great benefit for the others and most probably death to the others. Political, economic energy or any other benefit equals to the lives of thousands of people who are killed by Russian weapons. The world has to do its choice, the UN has to do its choice, the Security Council has to do its choice, the International Red Cross Committee has to do its choice. OCE has to do its choice. EU countries has to do their choice. NATO countries has to do their choice. G7 and G20 countries have to do their choice. US has to do its choice and to do this important step to recognize Russian Federation as the country's terrorist sponsor. This time has come, this time has come long ago and the reverse countdown has been already launched and there are only two options, determination and that means disease of atrocities in Russia or another bombing, another shelling of those terrorists. I know that a lot of Australians send their financial aid to our country, give us medical supplies, work as volunteers in hospitals, they provide delivery of humanitarian assistance and also they are on the frontline and I call you continue to help us, continue to help Ukraine including being in the classrooms by standing for the truth and debunking the myth that we're so masterly and so skilful if obligated by Russian propaganda machine. I am very thankful to Anthony Albanese, the government who made significant systematic support of our country which includes full scale military and humanitarian assistance, sanctions against Russian and Belarusian legal and physical entities, the cancelling of Ukrainian goods, taxes, even the call for our Ukrainian energy. Currently your country gives one of the biggest military support to Ukraine among the countries who are non-native members. We will be thankful for continuation of this support. War is not over and today we as never before need your support, need support of all the civilized countries along with whom we will most sure stop and conquer evil. Thank you for attention. Glory to Ukraine. President Zelensky, I hope you can tell by that standing ovation that the people of Australia recognize the sacrifice that is being made by the people of Ukraine. We acknowledge that they have a right to choose their own destiny and people around the world are sending a powerful message in various ways. We here at the Australian National University condemned the invasion in the very early days and suspended all research and academic activity with Russian counterparts. We must all do our part. And we are delighted that you've agreed to take questions from our students. We have a number here in Llewellyn Hall and a number who have sent questions online. May I first ask a student within Llewellyn Hall to ask a question of you and then, depending upon how much time we have, I'll go to questions from across Australia. So first, Sophia from the Australian National University. I call on you to ask a question of President Zelensky. After the outbreak of the war, many Ukrainians lost their family and home, but I see that you and other Ukrainians still have a strong fighting spirit and optimistic attitude. I would like to ask you that how do you achieve this? Thank you, President Zelensky. Thank you for this question, Sophia, as soon as I heard. I am inspired by people. I am inspired by our nation, strong, resilient, honest nation. The people who fight for its life, for their families, for everything we have for our Ukraine, this belongs to the Ukrainian nation and nobody else. And that's why I am proud of it. And I'm proud that I'm one of the citizens of those people. The resilience of our nation depends not only on leaders of the country. Everyone in our country is a leader. That's the situation we have. If someone wouldn't feel this resilience, someone couldn't feel Ukraine as his own life, that wouldn't happen. We haven't finished this war yet, but I'm sure that thanks to resilience of our country, thanks to our military, to our doctors and everyone, I'm sure we will win this war. Thank you, Sophia. We have a question from Liam, also from the Australian National University here in Llewellyn Hall. Mr President, are you hopeful that a post-Putin Russia will be able to democratise and be integrated into Europe as a global society, or is this unlikely? Thank you. It depends only on one country in the world and its country is Russia. Only one nation, it's Russian nation. And let us turn our attention on this world war II, the bloody war, bloody tragedy, with bloody, our theme of, with bloody stains, the stains in history of the first world German nation. It was a fascist Germany, but then German nation found the power to recognise the tragedy as a great tragic mistake of their nation, of their people, of those who followed Hitler, of those who, because somebody supported this government and somebody just kept silent, and everyone understood that everyone were guilty and they have chosen another path to recognise this tragedy, to recognise themselves as guilty and move on. And today we see one of the most powerful economies in the world and one of the most powerful democracies in the world. That was their choice. The choice was right, as I think. And they gave the chance to the following generation not to live as isolated, but to live among the civilised people and to be on the same high level of life. And I think that Russia will have this opportunity for sure. President Zelensky, I now have a question from our online audience. Carolyn, a student from the University of New England in New South Wales. Carolyn asks, it's obvious that no matter where we live in the world, we are all impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The war's impact on food, fertiliser and fuel cost is far reaching and countries are rethinking political and economic alliances. But how can we, as students in Australia, assist with somehow alleviating the human cost to your country? Is our empathy and moral support sufficient or can we do more? You know, you can't stand aside because the one who stands aside, not depending on where, which corner in the world, that one helps Russia because they are powerful, they have more people, more equipment, they have nuclear weapons. And this is a struggle of trinocrity against democracy. So you can't stand aside if you protect common principles with Ukraine. I'm sure that in the world the majority of people, the majority of countries protect the same shared values that we protect today on the battlefield with the cost of our life. Then you can't stand aside whatever it would mean. You can't just sympathize. I would be frank. We thank you for your moral support, but you also need to support our deeds. In order we would have the opportunity to win the tyranny. We need to have support with concrete actions because every hour, every day, we are losing the most important which we were giving God by planet Earth in our countries, the lives of people. And help, I already told that a lot of Australian citizens, indeed they help us a lot. They render humanitarian assistance. Please don't forget about it. Please continue. And the second I would like to turn my attention is informational war. It's difficult and Russia spends billions on their propaganda machine instead of raising social standards. They spend it all on informational weapons and they fight with the world. We all know everything about Russia. We personally know that the enemy has come to our land, but in different corners of the globe, which are far from Ukraine, they spread on different continents, on African continent and Malaysian space. They spread the informational policy that they haven't invaded anyone. And that works unfortunately. Even after a few years, after a lot of years of the war, people can't open their heart to the truth. Sometimes they are good with it. They are comfortable. They are having their business interests. And those business interests are more important than the lives of people for them. That's why please share this information with everyone, with other countries as I mentioned, and students and youth by using the social networks. You have an opportunity to show the truth about Ukraine. That will help us indeed. Your Excellency, I have another question from the online audience. Shintong from Swinburne University in Melbourne. He asks, how do you view China's attitude and behaviour towards this war, where it somehow provided support to Russia, despite its claim to be neutral? Do you think it is possible for Ukraine to enlist the support of China? And then Shintong sends his best wishes to all the Ukrainian people. Thank you. I was in China with my family. It's a beautiful city and I wish you peace in Melbourne and health and everything the best. As for China, you know, as a president, indeed I do everything every day that Russia wouldn't be able to unite anyone around itself and praise the Lord that I'm not alone. We all work on it with great dedication to deliver the truth, to deliver the information. And we see that Russia are losing its elites, its economic elites. It's not very full-scale, but still it loses it. And I would like China to join the unified world position as for tyranny of Russia against Ukraine in whatever way it would happen. As for now, China is balancing and indeed has neutrality. And I will be honest, this neutrality is better than China would join Russia. And I believe that the society of Russia, the nation of China, the people of China will do the prudent choice. It's important that for us that China wouldn't help Russia. We have some occasions as for sanctions, some nations help Russian Federation a little. They do not feel on themselves which influence this war has made on the whole world. Mr President, another question from a student in our audience here. Polina from Macquarie University has a question. The resilience of Ukrainians has impressed the whole world. In what ways do you think Ukrainian society and culture will be different after the war? Thank you, President Zelensky. Thank you for the question. You know, I think that the values we are protecting, we were having those values even before the war. But we had this as granted. We had the right to live, the right to have freedom, the right to love, to choose where you live and who you will love most important. And to love it's our nation, it's a choice of every person. You don't think before the war that you could have this moment where you need to choose because of the war. And the most scary thing is that someone else will choose where you need to live. And you hear it from me but you can't feel it right now. And I'm happy that you don't have to face this choice. And I'm happy that you still have the peace in your country and such a great, such a beautiful faces. And I am happy that you're posing these questions, that you're having answers for those questions. You're thinking not only for yourself and you're thinking for the future of the country you live. So you have this freedom, the same values that we have. And after the war, all these understanding what's important for you became very acute, became very severe from different priorities. They are different, those priorities. People starting to think about other things. The most important thing is my child, my family. How is our neighbor, let him live? What's going on the front? What's going on with our military, with our statehood, with our homeland? We are retreating, we are going further. Are we wanting to give up our countries? We are changing the values. Second, the resiliency, we are united. It's very important. We can have a lot of differences in our society. Someone likes the law, someone doesn't like the law. Somebody sees the harsh vertical, somebody sees the liberal society. We have different people, different views. We have different ethnicities, different ethnicities, different nationalities. And I'm proud of this. That we have such a multifaceted country, such a multiverse country. But it's united. It's very important to have unity in our country on this period of trials. And I would like to believe that we will stay this united, the very united nation in the same way that we have during this war and we will have the same unity after the war. We have a question from Kyle, online, from Queensland University of Technology. And Kyle asks, in the future, do you ever think Russian-Ukraine relations could reach good terms after this devastating war? And if so, what would it take for that to happen? Most probably. This is the most hard question, the hardest question. Because I will tell you, Frank, nobody wants anything to have in common with people who did all the things with our people. And I'm telling you wholeheartedly, is it possible or not in the future? It will depend only on Russia. And what we need to do for this, I even don't know if we can have this list. And no, every family has lost something and everyone and tried inside himself something and will not forget whom he has given, what he has given, whether it was a child, whether it was a father. Excuse me for telling this, the teared hands and feet on the battlefield, are they able to return it? I'm not sure. That is why they will have to think for us and for the whole world what to do to return, to return at least some possibility of the future common existence with Ukraine and with other world. The question that belongs only to them. Thank you, Mr. President. I have another question from a student in the hall here, Bridget from the Australian National University. Bridget, would you stand and ask your question? As a leader at war, what has been the most challenging or the hardest concept for you while understanding and fighting on the ground? Didn't you hear that? I'll ask Bridget to read it again slowly. As a leader at war, what has been the hardest concept to grasp or the hardest thing to accept when fighting on the ground? Did you hear that, Mr. President? The hardest thing to accept as a concept when fighting on the ground? I will tell you, I didn't think that people are capable of those things and I would share it in the two aspects. On one side, our people who are capable of such heroism went out on the street and started to stop the military equipment tanks with bare hands in the areas which were occupied. We were asking, we tried to recreate people and somebody told, I'm not going out of this, it's my land and those people, there were a lot of them. And the next part of humanity, on the other side, the people who came to our land who simply, I don't want to repeat, I already told that, but those things that they've done with the same people as they are, it's a shock for me. I never thought that people are capable of those. We have seen different movies, thrillers, the horror movies. We all watched it, but I never thought that the reality in Ukraine would be even more scary than the scariest movies. Thank you. President, I have a question from Xing Yu, a student online from the University of Sydney. Xing Yu asks, how does the ongoing situation affect Ukraine's economy and what is the economic rebuild plan for the future? Thank you for the question. The war has displaced 12 millions of people. Part of them are still in Ukraine, losing their job, their business in other cities. Part has moved abroad, losing the same. And thanks to God, not losing the wish, the desire to come back. And when they have the desire to come back to return, that means most probably we will rebuild. As for the rebuilding Ukraine's economy, it's another question, it will happen in time. Now I would like to say a few things about the economy. When we have such a quantity of people moving abroad, we understand that we lost a lot of jobs, billions of jobs actually. Not thousands, when sometimes politicians generalised tens of thousands. No, those are millions. And for the country which has 40 million population, 12 millions displaced and you understand that it's a disaster. It's a great strike for economy. It's almost killing the economy. And now it's in karma and we have to do not only Ukraine, but all the world as doctors do some remedy for our economy that we will compensate the deficit of 5 billion dollars. This is a deficit that we have month every month. It's a great sum of money, 5 billion US dollars. We are not talking about great construction about something, a great project is just for granting social assistance, basic social needs, those who need this assistance urgently, 5 billion and these are huge losses. The blocking of ports by Russian Federation, this is a great loss for economy. Not only of Ukrainian economy, but the world economy. Of course we are creating 10, as a minimum 10 billion of tons of grain, it needs to be returned for our land. And you know that 5 billion dollar deficit monthly will give us an opportunity to require this wheat urgently for us. It's very important and Russia is blocking it. And it understands that it will cause the food deficit through blocking of Ukrainian ports. It can cause famine of millions. It can cause chaos in a lot of countries. We understand it. Those countries calling us, we are constantly in communication with them and they ask us, they beg us, let's pressure Russia and just recently thanks to UN in partnership with Turkey we had first ship with the delivery of grain, but it's still nothing. But we hope it's a tendency that will continue and the aftermath of this war, it's not only horrifying for Ukraine but for all the world, even in the future, in the far future, and the world yet is not feeling it but will feel it. And I don't think there is some distance in the war. We have a question from Bailey who is online from the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Bailey asks, as a person with a disability my heart has gone out particularly to Ukrainians with a disability during this war. Has there been any additional international aid for Ukrainians with disability and other minorities needing extra help to survive? And if not, what is the most appropriate way for us as both individuals and as a nation to help? Well, I thank you for this question. We have a few programs. And by the way, my wife is dealing with this direction. She helps with her side, our country and our institutions. With these programs you can have information on those programs and of course you can help those programs. And for example, United24 platform, we have a great charity state platform where you can serve, find in the Internet which direction you can assist. It's not only about weapons, it's also about medical supplies. It's about such directions that you just mentioned. It's also infrastructural support, et cetera. You can join, you can participate in those directions and you can have interest in them. And we support our handicapped people or every people we try to help their, our priority. President, I hope we have time for a couple more questions. I'll ask Olivia from the Australian National University here in Llewellyn Hall to ask a question. Amidst the conflict and violence, how do you feel about the participation and victory of Ukraine at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest? Particularly with a song that recognizes so much of Ukraine's language and culture, do you believe that music is an important tool for cultural connection during violence? First of all, yes, I do think that the culture, sport and science have the great significance in the times of war, even more important than in the peacetime. And, you know, for Ukraine, motivation is to win for every Ukrainian, and that's why we are motivated by any victory. We support our sportsmen, and never before we support our cultural activists. And Eurovision is not the, is one of the greatest examples where we support our cultural activists. We support our scientists when they become the best in the mathematics or physical scientists. We support them as never before. Before this, somebody, a lot of people, haven't even heard about us, and that's why this is a victory in all directions for us. It's important for us because it's a great battlefield for us everywhere. Thank you. President Zelensky, I understand that time is against us, but we think that on that note we can end this conversation with you. On behalf of the audience here this evening and the participants online, on behalf of the Australian National University and the 21 other universities that are working with us to present this event this evening, we thank you for taking part. We appreciate your time and the opportunity to hear directly from a world leader who is fighting for the survival of his people. We stand with you. We stand with Ukraine. And we support you in your continuing fight for freedom and democracy in the face of tyranny. Thank you for your efforts. We salute your courage and your determination. Please join with me in thanking President Zelensky. This conversation sometimes you ask me what more we can do for Ukraine. So I said that you've been to Kiev times and I think you saw, I think you saw our people and I think you understand why they're fighting so great. Your question, what else you can do for Ukraine to understand us to be in Ukraine and see our people? I think it's very important. Thank you so much for this possibility. All the best. Good luck. We will win. Ladies and gentlemen, that certainly was an extraordinary opportunity to hear from President Zelensky and I'll now hand over to the Ukrainian ambassador who wishes to have the final word. Honourable Julia Beshep, your Excellencies, my friends, students, I'm overwhelmed by the support I've seen for President Zelensky, such a big turnout, 21 universities participating, very genuine discussion. I was very pleased that you could have a very interactive conversation. Because often people come, they do a speech and they leave and I think that was a unique opportunity for many of you young people out there to be able to ask your question, to get an answer and just to feel and understand how it is to be a leader at the times of war. There's some very good questions that were asked. Of course, my favorite one was about the Eurovision Song Contest. Personally, I was involved for 10 years in the Eurovision Song Contest and contributed to Ukraine's victory in 2004. But look, I think students are so important. I'm very curious to find out later how many students eventually have been watching this live stream because I think that never happened in Australian history and I think Australia has even done much better than other countries in terms of the turnout and the number of people. I'll have to find out the statistics from the US and UK but I think in terms of the numbers, I think Australia again has demonstrated that you know how to punch about your weight. When I was a student myself, I was extremely active in the youth politics and the youth activities and at the time I set up European Youth Parliament which was a chapter of the European Youth Parliament in Europe and often when I go back and analyze what was the best thing that I could have done in my life and I have to tell you that those were those university times when myself and my friends, we all stayed very active. We all were extremely active in youth politics and youth activities, just doing more than doing extracurricular work, leadership work because I think as young people there is so much you can learn in a classroom but there is so much you can learn outside of the classroom so I think it's so important to do that because the skills you can learn outside of the classroom will be extremely useful for you, whatever you do. If somebody asked me 10 years ago if Russians would invade Ukraine I would probably tell you that you're crazy, it's impossible but 8 years ago Russians invaded Ukraine they grabbed Crimea, they invaded eastern part of Ukraine the war has been going on for 8 years now but again in December when everybody was discussing what Russia is about to do is it part of this strategic ambiguity and they're just trying to impose more leverage on Ukraine I again did not believe that Russians would mount another assault on Ukraine at this scale, but they did. Since I arrived here in Australia at the end of March it's been very busy for me but let me tell you the most rewarding experience I've received was actually talking to university students I did my lectures I've spoken here at the ANU at three times at different conferences I spoke at the University of Western Australia I did a lecture at the University of Adelaide I engaged with the University of Sydney I'm doing a lecture at the University of West Sydney and every time I talk to students this is what gives me inspiration because I think students are the future of the country and so much will depend on you today Prime Minister Albanese has ordered the review of the defence poster of Australia and I really welcome that because it's so important to actually revise the security and defence strategy which Australia has because at the end of the day it's so important to be ready to be ready to die for your country when there is a need for that because Ukrainians were not ready to die but we did it turned out we were ready we were prepared we need to build this resilience throughout the society and resilience does not just come out of thin air you need to work on that you need to build it today I had a meeting with Professor Metcalf in the morning and we're discussing this issue and we shared a similar experience we've had with Finland I've been to Finland many times and I've spoken to different audiences there and as you know Finland has very strong territorial defence forces and very strong resilience within the society because as a country which was outside of NATO next door to Russia and actually having survived the winter wars against the Soviet Union in the 40s they understand the threat which is out there and I think Finland there's so much to learn from Finland and now there's so much to learn from Ukraine and we would be happy to share our experience with you with Australia, with Australian people of how to be prepared how to actually prevent malign foreign influence within the country how to build with hybrid warfare and actually how to be fighting on the ground because at the end of the day there is not a better place in the world where you can learn the modern warfare and actually what to do how to run the country at the times of war Australian government has been extremely generous for the support the previous leadership of Scott Morrison was out there they've supported Ukraine from day one by sending weapons sending bushmasters sending military kit and Prime Minister Albanese we've had bipartisan support here he decided to come to Ukraine being only five weeks in a job so I think it was extremely important for me as a wartime ambassador to see Australian Prime Minister to go into Ukraine for the first time in the history of our bilateral relations and this year we've just celebrated 30 years so being there with your Prime Minister for 12 hours in Ukraine being in Derpien, Bucza being in Hostomel then actually attending the meeting with President Zelensky for three hours was very special and I think it was a very special moment also for Prime Minister Albanese to see it with his own eyes to be able to see that level of destruction to hear witness accounts about civilians who were killed in Bucza 460 people in one village were killed and executed just because they were Ukrainian can you believe that? Russians are perpetrating massive war crimes crimes against humanity just last Friday we learned about atrocities which were committed by the Russian troops in Olenimka that's a prison where they put their soldiers from as of steel where they were defending the steel they tortured them live on camera then they put them in the building and blew them up this is unbelievable but look I want to finish this talk on a positive note I'm extremely thankful to Julia Bishop for giving this floor for creating this opportunity and very few of you know that I'm Matt Honorable Julia Bishop in Ukraine in 2014 when she came there to address the issue of MH17 she came to Ukraine Crisis Media Centre and I moderated her press conference so I was very happy when I came here as an ambassador the first meeting I had in Australia was actually to come to the ANU and meet Julia Bishop thank you very much for that thank you Ambassador in truth I always have the last word so I want to thank Anne McNaughton and our team at the College of European Studies Rory Metcalf and the team at the National Security College Vice Chancellor Brian Schmidt and his executive team and thank you all for being present here this evening and for those who participated online for being here for showing how much you care and for showing support for the people of Ukraine when they need it most travel safely be careful continue to be invested in this issue because it does matter what's going on halfway around the world does impact on our life, our values and Australia's perspectives so thank you very much for being part of this eventful moment in the history of ANU