Ukraine “was reborn” the day Russia invaded it, says Zelensky in his Independence Day speech
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky says the country was “reborn” the day Russia invaded it six months ago.
In an emotional video message to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day on Wednesday, Zelensky recalled February 24, when he said Ukrainians had to “prove our words with deeds.”
“The second Ukrainian referendum was held on that day. Again, the main question. Again, a decisive election. But this time it was necessary to say ‘yes’ to independence not on the ballot, but in soul and conscience,” said.
“A new nation that emerged on February 24 at 4 in the morning. It was not born, but reborn. A nation that did not cry, did not scream, did not get scared. It did not run away. It did not give up. It did not forget.”
Zelensky paid tribute to Ukrainians celebrating Independence Day, listing the various ways they have mobilized to help their country, from fighting on the front lines to raising funds for the war effort.
He had previously warned Ukrainians to exercise more caution on Independence Day, stressing in his late-night speech on Tuesday that “horrific Russian provocations and brutal attacks are possible.”
A long war: In his speech on Wednesday, the president referred to the long duration of the war, noting that Ukraine has been holding for “six months.”
“Each new day is a new reason not to give up. Because, having gone through so much, we have no right not to reach the end,” he said.
“What is the end of the war for us? Before we said: peace. Now we say: victory.”
Finally, Zelensky promised to restore Ukrainian rule in Crimea – which was annexed by Russia in 2014 – and in the Russian-occupied Donbas region “by any means possible”, reiterating the commitments made during the Crimean Platform summit of this Tuesday.