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[applause] [applause] >> It's been more than 1,400 days since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The cost of war to the country has been enormous. We're talking billions and billions of dollars in infrastructure loss, a shrinking population, rising poverty, many lives lost, more than 6.5 million Ukrainians who have been displaced from their homes. The list keeps going on. In the midst of war, every other problem, every other issue seems to pale in comparison. But perhaps we should ask ourselves one question. What could matter more than simply trying to survive the war? I want you to hold on to that question for a moment. We're going to come back to it shortly. What if I told you that Ukraine has been fighting another war for decades now? A more silent war, one without missiles or military, one without bombs or bullets, one that has three main enemies. Low fertility, high mortality, and massive emigration. It is what we call the demographic crisis. The demographic crisis simply means that Ukraine has an aging population and has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. But why does that matter? Because the strength of every country is built upon the lives of its workforce population. This is usually those who are between the ages of 18 to 60 who may be in part-time or full-time employment and their incomes go to support those who are less than 18 and those who are above 60. These are the children and the retirees. Now, in the context of Ukraine, what we are seeing is that there are more and more children and retirees that are dependent on fewer and fewer young working force population. And this is a massive problem because it's been worsened by the war. Millions of Ukrainians have left the country in search of survival and stability. It is wartime. Everyone has to look out for themselves. And we are beginning to see the impact of this. About 71% of businesses are reporting to that they are seeing workforce deficits. This was a survey that was conducted in 2024. The impact is clear for us to see. With every day that passes, Ukraine is losing its future doctors, its future engineers, its future caregivers, its future innovators. But tonight, the question you should ask yourself is, if these people are leaving and they decide they will not return, who then is going to lift the country from rubble into renewal? On the flip side, the question that you should not be asking is if these young people will stay or leave after the war. We are already seeing the signs of what may happen. The first one, when a survey was conducted in 2022, it asked a simple question to Ukrainian refugees, "Will you return to your country after the war ends?" 74% of them said, "Yes, we will." The same survey was conducted in the year 2024. The same question, "Will you return to your country once the war ends?" And only 43% of them said, "Yes, we will." What's What this shows us is that the longer the war continues, the less likely people are to return to the country. My second point, martial law. Martial law was recently lifted in August of 2025 for young men between the ages of 18 to 22. And what this meant was that they could now travel internationally. We saw the immediate impact. Ukraine recorded record numbers of departures from the country. What this shows us, the lesson here, is that martial law is only a band-aid fix. You cannot force a generation of energetic and talented young men to stay in the country simply by locking the gates. Especially Especially when what lies beyond those gates is safer, more stable, and full of economic opportunity. You see, what I did not say in the beginning is that Ukraine is not the only country that is fighting a demographic crisis. Let's take Poland. Yes, Poland has opened its gates to close to a million Ukrainian refugees, but this is not only an act of solidarity, it also makes economic sense. The data proves it. Ukrainian refugees in Poland contribute about 2.7% to the GDP of the country. Now, Poland has a median age of 43. They are experiencing shortage of labor, so this is a big deal. So, let's go back to my question. What could matter more than simply trying to survive this war? I hope I've convinced you that the only thing that matters more is hoping is is asking ourselves will these young people stay? And if they decide to stay, will they have the capabilities to lift their country from rubble into renewal? Because quite literally, the long-term survival of Ukraine will be decided by whether these young people decide to build their future at home or elsewhere. There's good news. The picture is not all doom and gloom. Hope lies in a characteristic, a quality that data does not always capture. The spirit of patriotism. Young people in Ukraine in Ukraine are resilient. They're patriotic. They are committed. We have seen their their love and dedication for their country in front of battle and behind the scenes. Let's take for example Solomiya. Solomiya is a 16-year-old volunteer, and she volunteers at a train station in Lviv. She spends her day helping families that have been displaced with their logistics, i.e. buying train tickets, figuring out where they could go next. >> [snorts] >> That is what she spends her day doing. Another example is Yaroslav. [snorts] Yaroslav is a 15-year-old man. That's what I call him. A man that has lost his home twice. A man that has speaking impairments. But this is not stopped him. Yaroslav realized that teenagers with disability find it hard to make friends. Do you know what he did? He partnered with his mother. They created a board game, and now this is bringing a sense of belonging to young people in Ukraine in the midst of war. That is good news. But you see, ladies and gentlemen, the hope of Patriotism will lift up the spirit of a nation. But Patriotism, and that hope that it brings, is not is not strategy. Hope is not strategy. The government must decide to invest in young people. Now, don't get it wrong. This is not only a moral duty of government. There is economic sense to it. We see from studies that have been conducted by UNICEF that one hryvnia that is invested in a young person today will yield about 2.5 hryvnia by 2030. Ladies and gentlemen, may I put it to you that investing in young people is not charity. It is strategy. Ukraine stands at a watershed moment. The transition from rubble into renewal will not only be determined by how fast buildings will rise, but also if those young people who inherit those buildings will decide to stay or to leave. Renewal is not guaranteed. Renewal is not automatic. Renewal must be earned. Renewal should be centered around the lives of those who will be here in Ukraine 20, 30, 50 years from today. May I put it to you, nations will only endure when their young people begin to see their future at home. Thank you. >> [applause]