The most important thing for every person is being where they are needed, and Ukrainians are needed by their country – right now and always. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this while taking part in the “Better at Home!” talk show – a platform for dialogue with young people about the future, organized by the Office of the President together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
Around 300 Ukrainian students participated in the talk show in person. Two hundred of them had left Ukraine because of Russian aggression, but later returned home. Another 80 Ukrainian students studying in Berlin, Warsaw, Prague, and Madrid joined online.
Speaking with the young people, the President noted that in both wartime and peacetime, what a person needs above all is to feel needed and not alone.
“At any time, whenever we go somewhere else, we are still, in my view, not truly at home. That is why I believe that being where you are needed is far more important. Because people need you. First and foremost, your family and loved ones. And your homeland needs you too. Of course, this is not about me giving advice to people. We are all adults. You make your own choices. But I am deeply grateful to the young people, to those who are in Ukraine and to those who are returning to Ukraine,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy added.
The President stressed that many Ukrainian families remain separated because men stayed behind to defend Ukraine, while their wives and children were forced to leave abroad because of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“When we see such strong people on the front line, know this – they are thinking about you. They need your support. So come back. And if you cannot return, please call and support your families and loved ones, because today they are defending not only Ukraine, but also all those countries where millions of Ukrainians now live, because the Russian enemy did not reach them precisely thanks to Ukrainians,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The Head of State separately emphasized the importance of preserving unity between Ukrainians who remained at home and those currently abroad.
“War is the greatest challenge and risk. Many people left because they were afraid of war. That is an entirely understandable reason. Sometimes we build a wall because we are not ready to tell one another the truth – and above all, to tell it to ourselves. That I left because of the war, and that I am not returning because of risks and different fears, not because there is some distance between young people. I am convinced that the distance between Ukrainian youth here in Ukraine and Ukrainian youth abroad is far smaller than the distance between Ukrainian youth and the youth of other countries,” the President said.
Speaking about opportunities for development and self-realization, Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the war has reduced competition in Ukraine, which is negative for the economy, but once the war ends, people in our country will have greater opportunities to start their own businesses.
“After the war, Ukraine will experience a major rise. That is natural. There will be reconstruction, there will be funding. Different investments and businesses will bring money back here. And that means opportunities,” the President stressed.
In addition, according to the Head of State, Ukraine’s membership in the European Union will open new markets and attract investment.
“Ukraine will be part of the European Union. Markets will open – all of this will happen, one hundred percent. Today, there is no other country on the European continent that is territorially so large, with such opportunities, and that is not yet in the European Union but is closer than any other to European identity. That is why I believe these are all opportunities,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded.