Our esteemed warriors!
All our defenders!
Everyone who has chosen for themselves the truly honorable path of defending our independence, our state, and our people, the right of Ukrainians to live freely on their own land. Today is your day – the day of millions – of all those who dedicate their lives to the life of Ukraine.
A day when Ukrainians honor their defenders. A day when we remember the fallen warriors. A day when Ukrainians offer prayers for the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God to safeguard our state. Ukraine stands on this land, and it is not a gift, not a coincidence, not someone’s mercy or a decision from the past, but the achievement of our people. It is a result won by Ukrainians – their own statehood, their own culture, their own independence. Our people have withstood dozens of attempts to conquer our state, to conquer Ukraine. Ukrainians have endured centuries of propaganda claiming that we supposedly could not have an independent national life. But every attempt – every single one – to subjugate Ukraine ended only with Ukraine’s rebirth. All attempts to erase Ukraine and Ukrainians ended with the hostile empires falling apart. Ukraine has outlasted not just a single force that tried to wipe our people off the face of the earth – it has outlasted all those who wished it. Ukraine will endure now as well – against this Russia. Without a doubt, it will withstand. We will definitely defend our state.
Dear Ukrainians!
Today is a day of millions. Millions of the brave. Millions of Ukrainians who come from different regions, yet stand together. Millions who did not fear. Millions who did not betray. Millions who dream of ending this war and who act so that peace may come sooner. Ukrainians are not defending themselves against Russia for the first time – but now, they are doing it with the longest range, with the greatest effectiveness. And now we must defend ourselves in such a way that our children – all our children, all future generations – are guaranteed freedom from war, from terror, from strikes, from any threats. That’s what our goal is. And this means that Ukraine will certainly not lose the strength it has gained over the years of war – the greatest strength in our history. Ukraine will not lose its partners – the truly global support that Ukraine had always lacked in the past. And Ukraine will always need people like you – our defenders. On the eve of this day, I signed decrees awarding state honors to our people – to more than 1,600 Ukrainians. These are different people, different components of our defense: the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, our intelligence services, the Security Service of Ukraine, our border guards, our combat-ready National Police of Ukraine, our communications units, our first responders – the truly heroic personnel of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, who always stand in defense of life. I thank all of you, and everyone who is like you!
Since the beginning of this war, since the start of the full-scale invasion, nearly 124,000 of our people have been honored with state awards specifically for defending our state and our people. This is only a part of the heroism of the Ukrainian nation. We are proud of our people.
And today we will also continue the tradition of the solemn oath of Ukrainian lyceum students – worthy people of a worthy country, the future of Ukraine that has mastered technology, knows how to be a true leader, and inspires many others around the world.
In the eyes of our people, there is often sorrow and there is fatigue – this, sadly, is inevitable in wartime. Yet far more often in our eyes there is pride – pride in our state, pride in Ukraine, pride in Ukrainians, in everything we achieve through our defense. And that is just. And may this pride in Ukraine always be deserved.
I thank everyone who defends Ukraine! And we remember the price of this defense. We remember every life, every name. I now ask you to honor with a moment of silence the memory of all our heroes of different times – those who fought for Ukraine, who strengthened our Ukraine, who worked for it, and who gave their lives so that Ukraine may live.
Thank you! We thank you all!
Glory to Ukraine!
