Oleshky. A Victory of Humanity Over Cruelty
For months, the people of Oleshky, a Ukrainian town under Russian occupation, have been trapped in a humanitarian catastrophe. Deprived of adequate food, clean water, medicine, and the basic necessities of life, they were left struggling to survive.
This suffering was not inevitable. It was the consequence of Russia’s occupation, the destruction brought by its war, and the obstruction of humanitarian access.
Today, as we welcome the successful rescue of our fellow citizens, I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who helped make it possible.
To First Lady of the United States Melania Trump, whose personal engagement and diplomatic efforts helped secure the humanitarian arrangements.
To His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, whose moral authority and personal appeals helped bring international attention and action to this tragedy.
To the Members of the European Parliament, and especially to Vice-President Pina Picierno, whose extraordinary act of personal solidarity - undertaking a hunger strike to draw attention to the suffering of the people of Oleshky - demonstrated that political leadership is measured not only by words, but also by the courage to act.
To the governments and representatives of democratic nations, to Ukrainian and international journalists, opinion leaders, volunteers, and civil society activists who refused to let this tragedy disappear from the world’s attention.
Your voices, your determination, and your humanity helped save lives.
And, of course, to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose personal determination and persistent efforts to bring our people home have never wavered.
My special gratitude goes to Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets. His personal courage, composure, and perseverance throughout this extraordinarily difficult humanitarian mission deserve our deepest respect. He demonstrated what public service truly means: accepting personal risks when human lives are at stake.
I also want to pay tribute to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, who, even under extraordinarily dangerous conditions, found remarkable ways to deliver food and essential supplies to civilians trapped in Oleshky. Their ingenuity, dedication, and humanity helped keep hope alive.
To our fellow Ukrainians returning from Oleshky: welcome home. Ukraine has been waiting for you. You were never forgotten. And you never will be.
But our relief cannot erase our sorrow.
We mourn those who did not survive the inhuman suffering inflicted upon this town. We owe them remembrance, truth, and justice.
And we remain deeply concerned about those who, for various reasons, have decided to stay in Oleshky under Russian occupation.
They must not be forgotten. Their safety, dignity, and fundamental rights must remain under close international scrutiny.
As President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I will continue to draw international attention to their situation and to the need for sustained humanitarian access and protection.
Oleshky reminds us of something fundamental.
International solidarity is not an abstract diplomatic principle. It can mean food reaching a starving family. Medicine reaching an elderly person. A safe journey home for someone who had almost lost hope.
When humanity acts together, lives can be saved - even in the darkest circumstances.
And that is why we must never stop trying.
International solidarity is measured not only by the declarations we adopt, but by the lives we manage to save.
Oleshky is Ukraine. And every Ukrainian life matters.