The following speech was delivered by Cambridge resident Larisa Muravska at the weekly Stand With Ukraine demonstration on King’s Parade on Saturday 18 July. It was submitted to East Anglia Bylines by Dr Paul Browne, Chair of Cambridge for Europe, whose photographs from the event accompany this article. Larisa has confirmed that, while she used AI to help polish the wording before delivering the speech, the ideas, opinions and factual content are entirely her own. It is published here with her permission.
Speech by Larisa Muravska, delivered at the Stand With Ukraine demonstration, King’s Parade, Cambridge, on Saturday 18 July 2026.
Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for being here.
I stand before you not only as a Ukrainian, but as someone whose country has been living through years of war, loss, and sacrifice. When people outside Ukraine think about our country, they usually see one story: the war against Russia.
That story is real. Every day, Ukrainian soldiers defend our homes, our families, and the values that unite the civilized world – freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.
But today I want to tell you something else.
Ukraine is fighting more than one battle
Yes, we are resisting Russian aggression. But we are also trying to build and protect a democratic society while missiles are falling and our people are dying. In a democracy, citizens do not stop caring about accountability simply because the country is at war. They ask difficult questions. They challenge decisions. They speak when they believe something is wrong.
Recent public protests in Ukraine have shown exactly that. Ukrainians have expressed strong concerns about decisions affecting the country’s military leadership and the direction of the war effort. Whatever one’s view of those decisions, these demonstrations reflect something important: Ukrainians continue to believe that their leaders should be accountable to the people, even in wartime.
Some people see protests and think they are a sign of weakness. I disagree. The real weakness would be silence. The real weakness would be accepting that criticism no longer matters because there is a war. Ukraine refuses to become that kind of country. And that is exactly what distinguishes us from the regime that invaded us.
Russia punishes dissent. Ukraine debates. Russia imprisons critics. Ukraine allows citizens to raise their voices. That difference matters.
It is worth defending. It is worth supporting. Our democracy is not perfect. No democracy is. But democracies become stronger when people care enough to demand better. This is not a sign that Ukraine is failing. It is evidence that Ukraine is determined to remain a free European nation.
Healthy democracies have healthy debate
To our friends here in Britain: Please do not mistake internal debate for collapse. Do not mistake criticism for surrender. Do not mistake democracy for instability.
The Kremlin hopes that the world will see every disagreement in Ukraine as proof that support should end. We must NOT allow that narrative to win. The truth is the opposite. The fact that Ukrainians continue to defend democratic values under extraordinary pressure is one more reason to stand with us; not one less.
Support Ukraine
Your support has saved lives. Your solidarity has protected families. Your leadership has shown that freedom is worth defending. And today, I ask you not to grow tired. Not to look away. Not to let democracy become another casualty of this war.
Support Ukraine, not because we are perfect. Support Ukraine because we are fighting to remain free. Support Ukraine because our soldiers defend not only our borders, but the principles that bind democratic nations together.
And support Ukraine because peace built on freedom is always stronger than peace built on fear.
Thank you. Slava Ukraini.
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