Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this morning that “there will be no World War III,” in a remote speech at the Golden Globes ceremony, which took place in Los Angeles.
“This is not a trilogy,” said Zelensky, after saying there would be no successor to World Wars I and II, “which killed millions of people.”
A former actor himself, Zelensky recalled that the Golden Globes were created in the middle of World War II, with the first edition awarding the best performances in 1944, at a time when war was still shaking the world.
“World War II wasn’t over yet, but the tide had turned and everyone knew who would win,” he said. “Now it is 2023, the war in Ukraine is not over yet, but the tide is turning and it is already clear who will win.”
Zelensky underlined the world’s support for the Ukrainian cause and called for its continuation. “We still have fights and tears ahead of us, but now I can definitely tell you who was the best last year, it was you,” he said. “The free peoples of the free world. Those who came together to support a free Ukrainian people in our common struggle for freedom.”
The head of state also spoke of the need to continue the fight “for the right of new generations to know the war only through films”.
More than a decade after the conflict began, Zelensky continues to cast a spotlight on Ukraine, having gone before the US Congress in December and received a White House commitment last week for a new $3.75 billion package ( 3.49 million euros) in military aid for the country and neighboring NATO allies.
“Ukraine will stop Russian aggression on our territory,” the president assured, ending with the traditional greeting the world now knows: Slava Ukraini (Glory to Ukraine).
The intervention was hosted by actor Sean Penn, who, before giving Zelensky the stage, also praised the courage of Iran’s youth uprising and “the ever-persevering movement” of Afghan women.
“We are reminded in no uncertain terms that the freedom to dream is not just a human luxury, but a human need that one must strive for and make sacrifices,” Penn said.
“If the freedom to dream were a spear, I present to you a human being tonight who represents the sharpest end of that spear,” Penn said of the Ukrainian president.
In 2022, the actor handed his Oscar to Zelensky with a mission: “if you win, bring him back to Malibu”.
The 80th Golden Globes ceremony took place in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, honoring the best in television and film in 2022.
Source: DN
