Ladies and Gentlemen,
I stand before you with a profound sense of humility as I accept the GLOBSEC European Award. To GLOBSEC, I extend my deepest thanks for this honor and for your continued support of Ukraine’s reintegration into the European family. This award, which I receive with a heart full of gratitude, is a symbol of the enduring spirit and resilience of the Ukrainian people during one of the most defining periods in our nation’s history. It is a symbol of Ukraine’s European history and its European future.
Ukraine’s European roots are deep and ancient. All of Europe, without exception, had familial ties with Kyiv a hundred years before Muscovy was even founded. The daughters of Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise – Anna, crowned Queen of France in 1051, for example, whose bloodline continued through 18 French kings, including herown son King Philip I. Some 158 European kings and queens trace their bloodlines to Kyiv.
Ukraine’s commitment to democracy is also deepand ancient. The Constitution of Hetman Pylyp Orlyk published in 1710 marks one of the first written constitutions ensuring the separation of powers, warning against autocracy, and defining Ukraine as a state based on law – all before the publication of Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws.
Our Revolution of Dignity in 2014, therefore, was not just a call for change; it was a resounding reaffirmation of our commitment to European democratic values, freedom, and the rule of law. Protestors often draped themselves with the EU flag. It was a moment when the people of Ukraine demonstrated unwavering courage and an unyielding desire to realign our future with Europeafter hundreds of years of subjugation. Ukrainians demanded leadership and a commitment to a European future.
The Government of Ukraine, in which I had the privilege to serve, began a series of extraordinary reforms required to stave off financial and social collapse – all in the face of the initial illegal invasion and annexation of Donbas and Crimea. In the aftermath of the Revolution, we embarked on a journey of transformation, driven by the collective will of our citizens. We made significant strides in governance, economic reform, and the fight against corruption, all while upholding the dignity and rights of our people. We had a responsibility to honor those who gave their lives on Maidan for a European future, and today all Ukrainians have a growing duty to those defending our population from the lawless invaders who reject these values and have brought bloody war back to the European continent despite our concerted efforts to ensure “never again.”
For the past 11 years, and in the face of overwhelming force and aggression over the past almost 1000 days, Ukrainians have been defending their European home from tyranny, from enslavement, from genocide by those who reject European values and the system of international order, rule of law, and freedom. Ukraine practices those values each day, while we avoid bombing civilian targets, provide aid to civilians fleeing Kursk, and live by the Geneva Convention in the treatment of prisoners of war. We are not only dreaming of returning to our rightful place in a united and free Europe, but we are defending our common European home and living by ourcommon European values.
As I accept this award, I am reminded of the responsibility that comes with leadership—the responsibility to serve, to protect, and to empower. This responsibility extends beyond public service to the private sector as well. I was a private equity manager when I was asked to serve as Ukraine’s Minister of Finance, the country at war and in deep fiscal crisis. I knew I could contribute to our country’s strength and recovery, and I had no right (indeed no desire) to turn my back on Ukraine. When later asked to lead the Oversight Board in Puerto Rico to take the U.S. territory out of bankruptcy, I agreed to do what was needed, as a technocrat freed from election politics, to eliminate that heavy burden from the people. And today I continue to seek to bring this type of transformative change to other governments, ultimately improving transparency, functioning of public services, and trust in government by its citizenry.
Each of us, not only our leaders, has talents, has opportunities, has contributions to make to a better world. I hope we here this evening can redoubleour individual and combined efforts towardensuring Ukraine’s future is secure, democratic, and prosperous; a future where our children can thrive in a country fully integrated into Europe. I urge you this evening to think about how you can be an active participant in ensuring Ukraine, and as a result, Europe, is prepared, strong, united, freeand democratic.
In closing, I dedicate this award to theindomitable spirit and strength of the Ukrainian people and to the unbreakable bond we share with Europe. It belongs to the brave men and women of Ukraine who stood on the Maidan in 2014, to those who have worked tirelessly to rebuild and reform our nation, to those in the trenches on the frontlines of a horrific war today, to those teaching children in underground bunkers as air sirens blare, to those manufacturing drones in basements, to those providing medical care to the wounded and maimed, to the farmers clearing their fields of mines to feed the world’s hungry, to those risking their lives to restore critical energy and heating this winter, and to the countless individuals who continue to believe in our European path despite the threats and challenges we face.
This award is a reminder that standing together and taking one step forward each day toward our common goal, Ukraine can and will prevail in thepursuit of peace, justice, prosperity, and the shared values that unite us in our European home.
Thank you.