The below words were posted by Elena Gold and originally published here.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 17-minute New Year speech brought tears to my eyes. Every word rang true and real, and touched on a thorn in my heart.
”This year started on 24 February”, Zelensky said.
And then let the videos to tell the story as he spoke. I remember all these events that were happening day by day in 2022.
“It was our year. The year of Ukraine. The year of Ukrainians”.
Ukrainians have one wish for the new year, Zelensky said, “Victory”.
“We don’t know what 2023 year will bring us, but we are ready for anything.”
“Let this year be the year of return of our people: Warriors to their families, prisoners of war to their homes, refugees – to our Ukraine. The return of our lands, temporarily occupied, so that our cities become free. Return to normal life, to happy times without curfews. To everyday joys without air raid alarms. Return of what had been stolen from us. Childhood of our kids. Peaceful retirement of our fathers.”
603,638 square kilometers – the area of independent Ukraine, as it was since 1991. And as it will always be, added Zelensky.
”I am here. We are here. You are here. Everyone is here. We are all Ukraine.”
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What can Australians learn from President Zelensky?
To identify our enemies and fight them.
Not so easy for Australians as many of our enemies are from “within” ie. those who teach us “self- loathing & self-hate”, those who reduce our freedoms, our self-responsibility, those who undermine our traditions and tamper with our Constitution.