President Zelensky called on the world’s media to “give life a chance to win” in a surprise address to leading UK journalists today.

In an exclusive video address to the Society of Editors conference in London, the Ukrainian leader praised the “strength” of journalists reporting on Russia’s invasion and hailed media coverage as essential to ensuring that its crimes do not “pass without trace.”

Praising the ability of media coverage to “bring wars to life” and “give a voice” to Ukrainian citizens, Zelensky said that continued coverage remained essential to documenting the reality of life in Ukraine since the invasion.

In the wake of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion, he said Ukraine needed the world’s attention “even more than before.”

Zelensky said: “Since the beginning of this brutal Russian aggression, Russia’s full-scale genocidal war against Ukraine, we have issued more than 15,000 accreditations to foreign journalists so that they can work freely in Ukraine – from different countries, from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

“I am glad that there are many British representatives among them. We opened Ukrainian life up to the maximum number of eyes for the world to see and for the world to tell the story and for the world to give voice to Ukrainian life.”

“Regardless of what time it is – happy or dramatic, peace or war, every moment is made up of human stories, of what people lived through and experienced, gained and lost, felt and achieved.

“Time passes and, in passing, it can carry away everything so dear to people and to humanity as such. Being able to fill life with words is being able to protect life and fight for it and give life a chance to win.”

He added: “Now more than ever your ability is needed to give voice to life. It is needed for Ukraine to say that “we can win” and for Ukrainians to say that we can restore justice, so that the terrorist state feels that it will be punished, so that our partners in the world hear that Ukraine is grateful for support.

“I urge you to come to Ukraine, to spread the truth about Russian aggression, support our defence and give Ukrainian life a voice.”

The one-day conference at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in London brought together more than 150 leading editors and journalists from all sectors of the UK news media industry to discuss the challenges facing the UK news media industry. Other coverage fron the conference can be read here.

The conference also saw Clive Myrie, one of the BBC’s most experienced foreign correspondents, presented with a Special Fellowship Award for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism.

Clive told the conference:  “Freedom of the press is annoying, frustrating, even dangerous to some people.  They seek affirmation, not debate.  They want to shut down conversations, not open them up.

“They are the true enemies of the people.

“The effects of all this are divided, ruptured societies.  Them and us.  A failure to unite in the best interests of everyone.

“There are too many entities and sections of government who don’t understand what our role is. It is about trying to fully inform the public.”