Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addressed Johns Hopkins University graduates during a commencement speech on Thursday.
Zelenskiy said he visited frontline troops on Tuesday to congratulate them on the Day of the Ukrainian Marines.
He drew parallels between the frontline troops who were ”fighting for freedom and independence” and the graduates. He mentioned some of the marines had already graduated and other only ”dreamt about graduating” but that they had similar expectations from life. He added they were involved in a situation which was ”not in their control.”
Zelenskiy said Ukraine would remain strong in their defence and thanked the United States and President Biden for their steadfast support since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
He mentioned fighting for freedom and democracy, for a better future for our children and grandchildren.
“And this century will be our century essential where freedom, innovation and democratic values reign. A century where tyrannies that repress their own and seek to enslave their neighbors will vanish from us once and for all but all of our tomorrows and the tomorrows of our children and grandchildren depends on each of our todays. On each of our todays,” he said.
Russia invaded Ukraine in what it called a “special military operation”, portrayed by President Vladimir Putin as a necessary move to “denazify” Ukraine and prevent “genocide” against Russian-speakers in its eastern Donbas region.
Ukraine and its Western allies reject that narrative as a false one to justify what they say is an illegal war of conquest. Kyiv says it is Moscow that is conducting genocide, something Russia rejects.
Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed since the start of the war, despite Russia’s insistence it does not target civilians. A U.N.-mandated investigative body said in March that Russia had committed wide-ranging war crimes such as wilful killings and torture. Moscow denies its forces have committed any war crimes.
Source: Reuters
