I think we all felt the same way when we closed our eyes just now to enjoy the beautiful music, especially during the song that you, Kateryna Suprun, introduced for us: “Maria’s City”, by Zoltan Almaschi. A song about Mariupol.

When I closed my eyes, I saw lots of images pass by. I visited Ukraine ten times over the last three years, and I’ve had the privilege of seeing and learning so much about your country. There are those wheat fields that were once so bountiful, providing food and sustenance to the entire world. Its vibrant life and the riches of its art and culture. But I’ve also witnessed, over the last three years, the destruction of these riches and its treasure, of its European history – and in particular also the destruction of the city of Mariupol.

Only a few days before Russia unleashed its brutal war of aggression on all of Ukraine three years ago, I visited the city of Mariupol. From there, I set out at 5 a.m. for the contact line – back when it was still called the contact line. I had spent the previous night at a hotel in Mariupol. It was a very tall tower. When later, only a few months afterwards, I saw on the news that this very same tower had been destroyed, I was at a loss for words.

Just previously, I had addressed all of my fellow citizens on 24 February as German Foreign Minister and had spoken the words: we woke up in a different world. And what this means for our continent – which our present-day generation believed to be blessed with permanent peace – is that this dream, Mriya, the dream of eternal peace, is unfortunately by no means a given.

For many in Ukraine, including for successful musicians like Kateryna Suprun, having woken up in a different world three years ago means they must leave behind their homeland. For children in eastern Ukraine, it means being subjected to abductions. It means three years of living in terror of drones and missiles. Above all it means, and of this we have been reminded by your music and your words, three years of attacks on art and culture. It means that places like Odesa in particular have been targeted – its theatres, museums, libraries, and especially its churches. I stood in one of these churches a while ago, in Odesa. Looking up at St Nicholas’ domed ceiling reminded me of how the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa had a gaping hole where its dome should have been, pretty much the same size as this one, revealing the sky above. That church was deliberately targeted, along with its organ, those beautiful sounds, its music.

We are honoured by the fact that your orchestra has found a second home here in Potsdam and in Berlin. That is why we, as the Federal Republic, the city and the Land, supported the formation of your orchestra; both the Lord Mayor and the President of the Landtag are represented here today. That is why we protect books that could be rescued from libraries, and paintings that could be rescued from museums. We want to save these works of art from destruction. However, they do not belong here with us – they belong back in Ukraine.

A different orchestra gave a performance two weeks ago, as well. They played in a football stadium – that of SC Freiburg. Although the musicians could unfortunately not be present. They stayed in their country, in Lviv, broadcasting their performance from an air raid shelter, over the internet. A hymn. The hymn they played was not by Bach or one of the great works we heard today, but rather a football anthem, the world-famous song “You’ll never walk alone”. Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart.

It goes well with the piece by Zoltan Almaschi that is dedicated to the city of Mariupol. There is hope, despite all of the pain. That is what we want to highlight here today with this commemorative event – and at this point I also want to thank St Nicholas Church for their support. We want to show that there is the dream of peace that we all want to keep alive. It is the dream that bears the same name as your orchestra, Mriya. It is “walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart”.

It is what we made plain three years ago, when the Federal Republic of Germany experienced its Zeitenwende, or epochal turning point, namely that we will support Ukraine, not only in protecting its culture, its art and its music – but of course also its people. Its people who lived a peaceful a life, like we do here in Potsdam. And during these last three years, we of course as citizens of a free democracy engaged in repeated debates about this support. Not only humanitarian and cultural, and not only in the sphere of development cooperation, but also and especially military support. But I think that days and evenings like this make it all the more clear that if we had been in your situation, what would we have wanted our European neighbours to do for us? Should they have closed their eyes to the fact that missiles were striking our St Nicholas Church? Targeting hospitals or schools? Should we, then, choose to stand by the side of the people in Ukraine?

In the Bible, Isaiah Chapter 32 reads “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.” That is what made it so important, and why it remains so important, also three years on, especially now, as we experience another epochal turning point – because we do not know how or whether this US Administration will continue to provide support. It is important that we make clear, like that verse in Isaiah, that peace can only be peace – putting it in today’s words – if it is a just peace. And a just peace can be achieved only if the roles of perpetrator and victim are not reversed.

If you make clear that we stand on the side of a free Ukraine and its people. Neutrality in a situation in which brutal force is exerted on innocent victims means supporting this brutal force. This is why a just peace can only mean peace being achieved for a free country – Ukraine – and why the Ukrainians and the Europeans must partake in the peace process.

Tomorrow, we head to the polls. When we leave this church and turn around, we will not only realise how lucky we are that our dome is still intact. Lucky that we had our European neighbours at our side 35 years ago, so that Germany could be reunited, in the heart of Europe, and that we are able to live in freedom and in peace. But we will also see that this freedom and this peace, and this democracy, are our greatest treasure. With a poster at the entrance to the St Nicholas Church, you make clear that “This is our vote!” Tomorrow, it is up to us to vote, to protect this treasure. Our freedom and peace, our democracy. Against those who want to destroy it and also destroy the promise that we made to the people in Ukraine three years ago. We stand by your side. You will never walk alone. Walk on, with hope in your heart. For as long as it takes, we will be there for you.

The sounds of Mriya, the dream of peace. It belongs to everyone.

Slava Ukraini.