Thank you very much. Hello everyone.

Thank you for joining the Stand Up for Ukraine pledging event.

I'm so pleased to be co- convening this important event.

Ursula... we've been intensely working towards this event for a while now, but I need to pause for a moment on your leadership and your commitment to protect those in need which demonstrates such a strong compassion and a strong presence of humanitarianism. We can always count on you to bring people together.

And I want to thank you for all your hard work and for everything you did with your visit to Kyiv yesterday, highlighting just the atrocities, but also so much the human side of this war.

I also want to thank President Duda of Poland and Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen for helping make this possible.

We're here today to answer President Zelenskyy’s call for the international community to mobilize in support for Ukrainian refugees and all Ukrainians. Vladimir Putin's war has created a humanitarian crisis. When I was in Warsaw just last month, I met people that had left their homes with only a backpack. It was all they had for their most important belongings. They shared incredibly difficult stories with me. They don't know when they'll return home to their husbands, their sons, their fathers. They don't know what the future holds.

In Warsaw, I also met frontline workers and volunteers  welcoming refugees. Their dedication is remarkable. But, whether in Poland or elsewhere, they need more resources, more help. Over the next hour, leaders from various countries and the private sector will share details of their commitments to help Ukrainian refugees. I want to thank all those who are answering President Zelenskyy’s call.  

I also want to thank all the artists, entertainers, athletes, and everyone who participated in the Stand Up for Ukraine social media rally yesterday. If you haven't already, you can still make a contribution by visiting forUkraine.com. Your voice, donations and advocacy are making a real difference. You're helping provide food, water, shelter, and medical aid for refugees who had to flee their homes, so thank you.

My friends, as the humanitarian crisis deepens, and needs continue to grow, our collective response must keep pace. That's exactly why we're gathered here today. Together let's keep working to mobilize governments around the world, private companies, and the people in our communities to support refugees from Ukraine, and indeed support all Ukrainians.