The First Lady: To support Ukraine is to reaffirm the very reason the United Nations was founded 80 years ago

First Lady Diana Nausėdienė participated in the event "80 Years of the UN: The Role of First Ladies and Gentlemen Unite for Peace and Prosperity" at the United Nations (UN) on Wednesday.

In her speech, the First Lady emphasized that, as we mark the 80th anniversary, it is important to remember that the UN was founded on the belief that peace, dignity, and cooperation must always rise above conflict, fear, and division

"Today, as we celebrate this anniversary, we also shoulder the responsibility to look forward. The future is not written for us; it is written by us. And whether that future will be safe, just, and humane depends on our vision, our courage, and our unity" said Mrs. Nausėdienė.

The First Lady underlined that soft power has always been the art of persuasion - of creating change through values rather than violence, through culture rather than coercion. Mrs. Nausėdienė emphasized that over eight decades, the United Nations has proven that ideas, when nurtured, can move mountains: build schools and hospitals where there were none, raise a vision of the future from places of despair, create opportunities where silence has long prevailed.

"Soft power also sustains what makes us human: memory, culture, language, and the quiet dignity of difference. By protecting heritage and giving voice to traditions, the United Nations has shown that diversity is not an obstacle to peace but its very foundation", stressed Mrs. Nausėdienė.

The First Lady noted that First Ladies and Gentlemen cannot sign treaties or command armies, but they hold something no less powerful - the ability to mobilize attention, to awaken empathy, to inspire action. This, she said, makes soft power strategic, resilient and transformative.

"Since the beginning of Russia's war in 2022, Ukraine has become a mirror held up to the world's conscience. Its people, with immense courage, defend not only their land but the very principles upon which this institution stands. War is madness, but it was not Ukraine that chose madness. We must not look away as cities are shattered, as children are torn from their families, as history is twisted to justify cruelty", noted Mrs. Nausėdienė.

The First Lady underlined that the manipulation of memory and the falsification of truth are as dangerous as violence itself. She added that if we allow lies to take root, they will not only legitimize occupation today but normalize dehumanization tomorrow.

"Lithuania knows this truth intimately. We, too, were occupied, silenced, deported, stripped of our voice and dignity. We know what it means to fight for the survival of identity. That is why our support for Ukraine is not only political; it is profoundly personal. For us, to stand with Ukraine is to stand with truth itself", stressed Mrs. Nausėdienė.

Addressing the First Ladies and Gentlemen, she emphasized that most of them know that aggressors who are not stopped always demand more, always become more ruthless, always grow more destructive.

"That is why no nation can remain neutral. To resist aggression is the duty of all humanity. Military strength is necessary, yes, but so too is the strength of ideas, of culture, of compassion. Soft power must become our weapon of truth - to unmask lies, to inspire solidarity, to heal the wounds of those who suffer", emphasized Mrs. Nausėdienė.

The First Lady also emphasized that the role of the United Nations is more important than ever. On this 80th anniversary, she underlined, the clearest proof of its relevance lies in Ukraine. Mrs. Nausėdienė concluded that to support Ukraine is to reaffirm the very reason the United Nations was created: to uphold peace, to defend sovereignty, and to protect dignity.

The event was organized by the Global First Ladies Alliance and attended by Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska, representatives from the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform, SCLAN - the Spouses of CARICOM Leaders Action Network, and the Alliance of Spouses of Heads of State and Representatives of Latin America.