What an amazing atmosphere – and what an amazing moment that I get to share with you! If there is anybody out there who is one of the ever-dwindling number of people who don’t know about the Invictus Games, you will perhaps find it hard to imagine the atmosphere that immediately enfolds you as you enter this arena. You don’t merely walk into a sporting event with exciting competitions, international teams and numerous heart-stopping finals. What you notice from the very first moment you come in here is something else: an immensely strong sense of community and solidarity.

It is the community of those who have not let themselves be beaten. Not by death, or by their severe physical injury or emotional scars. Not by pain, by grief, or by the memories of horrible losses that will not let them go. Your strength to keep on going every single day is what has brought you together here.

All of you here refuse to give up. And in that you are an example to all of us!

You are some 500 members of the armed forces and this year the police, too, who have come here from more than 20 countries. Over the past eight days, you have competed to be the fastest and the best, to take home the medals you won. You have fought hard in the various disciplines. But over the eight days of the Games, you have also exchanged thoughts and experiences with each other, you have celebrated together, and you and your families have forged new friendships. And for eight days, you have been together with people who understand precisely where you are coming from when you tell your story.

That is the reason for these games: each and every one of you has a story to tell, a story that far more people should hear. The Invictus Games put the spotlight on people in uniform, people who not only do their duty, but risk life and limb on a daily basis.

Before the closing ceremony tonight, I had the chance to speak to Maik Mutschke, a parachutist who was seriously injured when rescuing his comrades in Afghanistan. For years he has campaigned tirelessly for wounded veterans to receive greater recognition. He thinks that we can show Germany what can happen to serving soldiers, and what the consequences can be. He believes this is spoken about too little. And I think he is completely right in this.

Back in 2017, Sandra Winkler was a policewoman on the beat in the town of Viersen, when she was involved in an accident with a drunken lorry driver. She barely survived; her partner died. What she says is all too true. She says: I don’t expect anybody to pay obeisance. But I almost died for my country, and sometimes I get the feeling that people find it easy to forget that. We should not forget that!

Both Maik and Sandra served their country, and continue to serve it, as do all of you here. And both of them pay a high personal price every single day of their lives for having defended our freedom and the values at the heart of our liberal democracy.

What it means to be steadfast in an emergency is something that many people have understood since crisis unfortunately struck Europe 570 days ago. Because Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, soldiers are being wounded and are dying on the battlefield in defence of their homeland while we are gathered here. Countless people will return damaged from this war and will bear the scars for the rest of their lives.

I would like to say this to the team from Ukraine, which has already taken part in the Invictus Games for the second time, and must now return to defend its country against the Russian aggressor again: You have my profound respect as well as the support of all of us. May you draw new stores of strength from your days here!

This illegal war could be over today if Vladimir Putin were to withdraw his troops from foreign soil and so put an end to this death and destruction. Together we stand with Ukraine. We support the Ukrainians in their heroic struggle to ensure that Putin’s Russia does not win this war. And together with Ukraine, we hope each day that this war can end so that the dying and suffering and the injustice are no more.

Team Ukraine, all of us here feel for you and hope that you can take something of the special strength of this 'community of the unbeaten' back with you. Thank you for being with us!

I am grateful to the Duke of Sussex, as someone who himself has been in combat, for initiating and launching the Invictus Games nine years ago. Thank you for that! And I am grateful to our armed forces, the German Bundeswehr, and the city of Düsseldorf for bringing the Invictus Games to Germany for the very first time ever. Thank you for that! And I would like to thank in particular the many, many volunteers whose great dedication has made these Invictus Games possible. Thank you, volunteers!

My great respect and gratitude also go to the friends and families of the participants – you have accompanied your loved ones on the long, hard road to recovery and healing, and have demonstrated how crucial it is to stand by one another. Thanks for all your courage, support, engagement, warmth and solidarity!

And finally I come to the participants. You, above all, have my heartfelt thanks – for not giving up, and for being an example to us all. I will endeavour to ensure that respect for your service to your country and your compatriots will take further root and grow in the midst of our society, even after these eight days are over.

Thank you so much! Thanks to all of you!