Attempts to erase Ukraine and Ukrainians end with collapse of enemy empires - Zelenskyy

Ukraine is on this land thanks to the merits of its people, all attempts to erase the state and Ukrainians ended with the enemy empires crumbling, Ukraine will stand up against this Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said on Defenders’ Day.

"Today is your day, the day of millions of all those who dedicate their lives to the life of Ukraine. The day when Ukrainians salute their defenders. The day when we remember fallen soldiers. The day when Ukrainians pray that the protection of the Most Holy Theotokos protect our state. Ukraine is on this land. And this is not a gift, this is not an accident, not someone’s mercy or a decision from the past, but the merit of our people," Zelenskyy said during the oath-taking ceremony of a lyceum student and the awarding of awards on the occasion of Defenders’ Day.

The President noted that Ukrainians have withstood dozens of attempts to conquer Ukraine, and have also gone through centuries of propaganda that a state cannot have an independent national life.

"But every attempt to conquer Ukraine ended only with Ukraine being reborn. All attempts to erase Ukraine and Ukrainians ended with the collapse of enemy empires. Ukraine survived not just one person who tried to wipe out our people from the world: Ukraine survived all of them who wanted to. Ukraine will stand up and now against this Russia, it will stand up without a doubt," he stressed.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainians are not defending themselves from Russia for the first time, but now they are doing it "the most far-reaching, the most effectively."

"And right now we need to defend ourselves so that our children, all our children, all future generations are guaranteed to be free from war, from terror, from strikes, from any threats. And this is precisely our goal," the head of state noted.

He added that today he signed decrees on awarding state awards to more than 1,600 Ukrainians from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, intelligence, the Security Service, border guards, the combat National Police of Ukraine, signalmen, and rescuers.

"Since the beginning of this war, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, almost 124,000 of our people have been awarded state awards precisely for defense, precisely for the defense of our state and people," Zelenskyy said.

The President thanked everyone who defends Ukraine and noted that the state remembers the price at which this defense is given. He asked those present to honor the memory of all the heroes of different times who fought for Ukraine and gave their lives so that Ukraine could live with a minute of silence.