Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy is to publish a collection of his war speeches, which his publisher has described as “a battle cry for the world to speak out and fight for liberty”.
A Message from Ukraine will include 16 speeches personally selected by Zelenskiy, which will “explore Ukraine’s journey since 2019”, said publisher Penguin Random House.
The speeches will help readers “understand Ukrainians: our aspirations, our principles, and our values”, said Zelenskiy.
The book will also include a new introduction in which Zelenskiy will reflect on what he has learned about himself and Ukraine since the start of the conflict with Russia.
All of the president’s proceeds from the book – at least 60p per copy of the print edition sold in the UK – will be donated to the United24 fund. Run by the government of Ukraine, money from the fund is allocated by government ministries to cover their most pressing needs.
Zelenskiy said that “supporting Ukraine is not a trend, a meme or a viral challenge”.
“If you want to understand where we are from, what we want and where we are going, you need to learn more about who we are,” he added. “This book will help you do just that.”
A Message from Ukraine will include a preface by Arkady Ostrovsky, Russia and eastern Europe editor of the Economist, who will explain the context of the speeches and why they matter.
Ostrovsky said the book recorded “how Ukraine has found its voice and its strength”.
The book will be published by Penguin Random House’s Hutchinson Heinemann in the UK, and will also be published in countries including the US, Germany, Spain and Portugal.
Rowan Borchers, editorial director at Hutchinson Heinemann, said: “Over the last seven months, President Zelenskiy’s speeches have become a rallying cry for everyone who cares about the future of democracy. It is the honour of a lifetime to help him share his message with the world.”
A Message from Ukraine will be published on 24 November.
