Fellow Ukrainians – all at home and abroad!
I am honoured to extend my sincere congratulations on the basic for nation holiday – the Independence Day of Ukraine!
By marking today the 26th anniversary of restoration of Ukraine’s nationhood – adoption of The Declaration of Independence Act on August 24, 1991 -- we are paying a tribute of our profound respect to the thousand-year-old traditions of Ukrainian state building.
Since the times of mighty Rus-Ukraine until now we have been creating, waging a struggle and establishing a free state for Ukrainians.
This year we are also commemorating the centenary of the Ukrainian revolution – the newest bitter strife for revival of our statehood.
In less than half a year we are to celebrate a century of sovereignty declaration of the modern Ukrainian power – the Ukrainian People’s Republic. That day, on January 22, 1918, the Ukrainian Central Rada’s 4th Universal proclaimed Ukraine to be “… a free-standing, self-dependent, liber, and sovereign state of the Ukrainian nation”.
The proclamation of Ukraine’s sovereignty in January 1918 – at the then Russian aggression’s height – became the conclusive evidence of our age-long strivings towards resurrection and development of the country in order to live free on our age-old lands with dignity.
Independence and Collegiality of the State of Ukraine were those two things the best sons and daughters of ours had struggled for. The January 1918 declaration of independence in the ancient Ukrainian capital Kyiv became, along with the millennium-long history of our nation building, a guiding landmark for Ukrainian people’s uncompromising battle for the inalienable right to have its own land.
The unsung heroes that sacrificed themselves for independence of Ukraine would indwell in our hearts for evermore.
Let us remember those Ukrainian soldiers in the east of Ukraine who stopped the ongoing Russian aggression, who still keep protecting peaceful life of Ukrainians and all European nations against the Putin’s mortal threat.
Just as our forefathers with swords in hands that were standing upon their right to live free hundreds of years ago, we fight today to let Ukraine be free and united.
Faced on this great day with the room to apprehend our millennial history lessons, we ought to clearly grasp that unity, responsibility, faith in God and Ukraine, our own abilities and resistance are the only things that, combined, might pave the way for win and health of our Motherland. Let us unite and go on working to develop a fair, modern, and mighty State of Ukraine to allow Ukrainians to live free amid the European family of nations with dignity!
Glory to
Ukraine!
Glory to the heroes!