The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky made a passionate speech at the 64th annual Grammy Awards on April 3.
As the besieged president of a war-torn country, Zelensky has become a figure of Ukraine's resistance against Vladimir Putin's bloody invasion, regularly featuring in videos on social media and formal events.
At the beginning of the war, Zelensky made the decision to remain in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, pleading with the West for military help with the now-famous line: "I need ammunition, not a ride."
Since then Zelensky has continued to inspire the globe, standing firm with his people as they and their homeland's violation at the hands of Russia rages on.
Zelensky's speech came just hours after the full extent of the Russian massacre of Bucha came to light, amid fears that such atrocities could be happening elsewhere.
The murder of civilians has shocked the globe - the number of leaders and organisations calling for Russia to be held accountable for war crimes has been increasing.
The speech was delivered from Zelensky's Kyiv bunker, as the star-studded and glamorous audience watched on.
Zelensky's Grammy speech in full
"The war. What's more opposite to music?"
“The silence of ruined cities and killed people. Our children draw swooping rockets, not shooting stars. Over 400 children have been injured and 153 children died, and we will never see them drawing.
“Our parents are happy to wake up in the morning — in bomb shelters, but alive. Our loved ones don’t know if we will be together again. The war doesn’t let us choose who survives and who stays in eternal silence.”
“Our musicians wear body armour instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals — even to those who can’t hear them.
“But the music will break through anyway. We defend our freedom to live, to love, to sound.
“On our land, we are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs — the dead silence. Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story. Tell the truth about this war on your social networks, on TV.
“Support us in any way you can. Any — but not silence.
“Then peace will come to all our cities the war is destroying — Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Volnovakha, Mariupol and others. They are legends already, but I have a dream of them living — and free, like you on the Grammy stage.”
