This morning in Brussels, on the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, Honor Phillips, addressed a special committee made up of MPs from the European Union, sharing his experiences and perspectives as a photo journalist and documentarian from the ground in frontline cities like Pokrovsk, Kherson and Kharkiv. The following is a transcript of his written remarks.

My experience in Pokrovsk during some of the last days before the Russian onslaught begins

On this day we mourn the horrifying death of six captives of Hamas, including an American citizen, who were shot at close range by the Hamas terrorists after nearly one year in captivity. On this same day, Ukrainian civilians were targeted and killed by Russians engaging in a campaign of terror which has lasted two and half years. Some Americans have compassion for Israeli victims of Hamas, but little for Ukrainian victims of Russia. In this article we ask: What is the fundamental difference between Hamas and Russia?

But for today - July 8, 2024 - Putin took this war on children to the next level by targeting the largest children’s hospital in Ukraine, named for the protection of mothers and children. The streets are still burning as I write, and the Russian disinformation machine is already attempting to blame the assault on an American missile, a ruse annihilated by photographic proof of the actual Russian weapon.

Honor Phillips spoke with Ukrainian soldiers and volunteer medics about Russian gas attacks on the frontlines.

A reminder from 1897 and the HG Wells masterpiece, War of the Worlds: An insight from 1897: Evil has its day, but it will not prevail. In the end, Vladimir Putin and his conscienceless storm troopers will be defeated. Whether it is from external force, or internal implosion, or something completely unforeseen, is yet to be determined, but it will happen.

By not accepting President Joe Biden’s invitation to attend the State of the Nation address, she preserves the dignity of her nation which she must represent; she maintains the moral clarity of the Ukrainian cause; and she avoids undermining the present political battle in Congress.

“Defending is very hard now. We lose every day a part of our land. Our soldiers morale is not as high as it was two years ago. They have strong characters, but when the fight is between steel and bodies, or ‘meat,’ every time steel will win.”

Truthful story telling appears fundamental for mental clarity and healing of those who have endured the horrors of war. It allows them to process experiences. It multiplies and reinforces the value of the sacrifices of war. It is essential to building communities of support and strength. Importantly, story telling is an antidote to despair because it can reveal future purpose.

For years, Navalny was known for his charisma and unwavering determination to fight for a democratic Russia in opposition to the Putin regime as it became increasingly autocratic.

On April 1, 2022, a founding member of Ukraine Story was part of the first response team to enter and document the atrocities at Bucha. In November of 2023, I travelled to Bucha with my film team to interview eyewitnesses to Russian atrocities for our documentary series on the perseverance of the people of Ukraine. I returned from that trip to an America still under siege from Russian disinformation. The following article asks the most simple question to be answered in our documentary work: Who are we to believe? The architects of mass murder and collaborator political pundits steeped in contempt and ignorance, or the vast cloud of witnesses.

The enormity of the terror emerges. Scattered on the street are charred and disfigured remains of citizens of Bucha, often with their hands tied behind their backs. Survivors walk like zombies around the dead, leaving them untouched.

As a woman she could have left when the Russian tanks rolled over the border, as it was the adult males who were told to stay to defend against the invasion. But she did stay, the fight continues because of people like her who stayed.

It is the largest, unprovoked, full-scale invasion of a sovereign nation by a superpower since WWII.

In the midst of the debates and battles over the defense of Ukraine against Russian invaders it is important to return to first principles. What is or should be America’s foreign policy theory regarding an assault on the territorial integrity of Ukraine? Do we have pre-existing obligations to Ukraine? Why does the Russian invasion necessitate and trigger a definitive response on the part of the United States?