To the Personnel and the Veterans
of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
I greet you with the holiday that honors the defenders of the state and people. This holiday is a sign of love and gratitude to all those, who from generation to generation faithfully and consciousnessly have been performing and still perform their solemn patriotic duty.
At all times, both peaceful and war, your military skills, civil and moral qualities are tested and evaluated according to the highest and most uncompromising criteria. Extremely hard are also the criteria of modern times, the problems and difficulties of which the Armed Forces face together with the whole state. Successful reforming of the Ukrainian army, raising it to the level of modern requirements and tasks require maximum professionalism, organized nature, responsibility, real and effective fight against manifestations of corruption having penetrated even into this sphere.
Precisely such an army would be an obvious and worthy embodiment of life-giving traditions, unity of everlasting battlefield bravery, modern training ground tension and uneasy peacekeeping.
I wish veterans happiness, health, and well-being, and young military men to be worthy heirs of our veterans’ deeds and glory.
Volodymyr LYTVYN