Today, August 24, is a great holiday for every Ukrainian. Independence Day. We want to congratulate everyone from the bottom of our hearts on the day when exactly 31 years ago we won such a long-awaited, desired victory, becoming an independent country, thus confirming our dignity, glorifying our culture and history.

This year, the usual presidential greetings are somewhat different from all previous years. The war continues for the sixth month in a row. It’s the end of summer, but it’s still the same February in our hearts.

We feel compassion and rage at the same time that our holy land, the best people are suffering from the bloody claws of a terrorist neighbour, that on this wonderful sunny day in August, the whistling of rockets can be heard across the country. Someone said that this day would not come for us, someone thought that they could break our spirit, our will. Someone dared to think that they could bring our shrine, the cradle of Ukrainian history – the legendary city of Kyiv, to its knees. Half a year has passed and now we are celebrating Independence Day, it is difficult for us, it hurts, but despite everything we will stand. We no longer seek only peace, we want victory and we will have it. Because we have wonderful friends next to us, because the whole country is now more united than ever.

For us, the most terrible iron is not rockets, planes, tanks, but chains. Not trenches, but shackles. And we will raise our hands only once – when we celebrate our victory. All over Ukraine.