Ukraine is working with its international partners on response to further escalation by Russia after it conducted sham referendums in occupied territories of Ukraine and plans to annex the said areas, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his regular evening video address.
He said he would convene a National Security and Defence Council on 30 September and assured Ukrainians "we know how to react to any Russian actions".
The following is the full text of his speech published on Zelensky's official website:
"We continue our diplomatic activity to ensure that all partners of Ukraine and the countries of the world understand what new steps towards escalation are being taken by the terrorist state these days.
I spoke today with President of Poland Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi. I had a meeting with the President of the National Assembly of France. I am grateful to our partners for clearly condemning the Russian sham referenda, for condemning the attempted annexation of our territory, which the Kremlin is currently preparing.
I am grateful to our Polish brothers for their invaluable defense support and our cooperation for the sake of common security. And today, in a conversation with Andrzej Duda, with Mr. President, we discussed how we can further strengthen our relations.
We also discussed cross-border cooperation. We must do everything so that our nations face no obstacles for economic and any other relations.
I would like to thank Prime Minister Draghi for his principled condemnation of Russia's steps towards escalation. We exchanged views on further steps in our bilateral relations with Italy and in multilateral relations at the EU level that could give all of us in Europe more protection.
The first ever visit to Ukraine by the President of the National Assembly of France is taking place at a truly historic time. At a time when solidarity between leaders at all levels is critical to the future of a democratic world. I thanked Mrs. President of the National Assembly of France and her fellow parliamentarians for their willingness to continue to help us defend the independence of Ukraine and the freedom of the whole of Europe.
I talked today with the university community and public figures of Switzerland on the basis of the University of Zurich. It is very important that Switzerland and its citizens do not remain neutral, and support our aspiration to live - to live freely and in peace.
Everyone in the world understands well what such an attempted annexation would actually mean. It will not mean what the Kremlin hopes for.
Today I explained this to the peoples of the Caucasus, Siberia, and other indigenous peoples of Russia. And now I repeat for everyone in this country: Russia will not get a new territory of Ukraine. Russia will annex itself to the catastrophe that it has brought to the occupied territory of our country. Russia will equate itself with the so-called "DPR" and "LPR", and will completely finish off those institutions of normal statehood that still remained in Russia.
The occupier fills the occupied territory of Ukraine with graves, and there are more and more graves on the territory of Russia itself. The occupier sets up torture chambers in the occupied territory - and will fill the entire territory of Russia with torture chambers. This is the only way the Russian police and Russian special services will work now. The law in Russia has been obliterated. And those who brought all these deaths, torture, rape from Russia will take them home.
Everywhere in the seized territory, the occupier destroys any basis for life - economy, social sphere, culture...
Depriving the entire Russian society of a normal economy, a decent life and respect for any human value will be the price for the fact that one person in Russia wants this war to continue.
This can still be stopped. But to stop it, you have to stop that one in Russia who wants war more than life. Your life, citizens of Russia.
Today, the Russian army inflicted another vile attack on civilians in Mykolaiv - a shell exploded near a public transport stop. There are dead, there are wounded... Again shelling of Kharkiv, the Sumy region, fierce shelling in Donbas, in the south of Ukraine.
All this can be stopped in only one way: liberation. And before Russia came, there was normal life everywhere on Ukrainian land. And when Russia leaves, when we oust it, normal life will return. This is the only way. This is the way to our victory.
We cannot know how long it will take to complete this path. But we know that no Russian manipulation and no Russian crime can push us off this path.
Today we managed to release six more of our citizens from Russian captivity. I am thankful to everyone who ensures this work!
Today we have new results on the frontline.
Today we received additional elements of aid from partners.
It will continue to be so.
Tomorrow is another day of our struggle, another day on the path to victory. Will it be special for us? It will be another day that will bring us closer to security and peace, to restoration of our territorial integrity. Because millions of Ukrainians fight and work for this.
A special meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, which I convened, will take place tomorrow. There will be decisions.
We know how to react to any Russian actions.
And finally. This morning I honored the memory of all the victims of the Babyn Yar. Eternal memory to the victims of Nazism! Eternal damnation to those who repeat the crimes of the Nazis!"