Zelenskyy on Independence Day: Kremlin leader won’t dictate red lines to us
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Ukrainians on Independence Day. He emphasized that Ukrainians will not have red lines dictated to them by the Kremlin.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recorded a video address from the Sumy region, near the Psel River a few kilometers from the border with Russia.
"913 days ago, Russia waged war against us, including through the Sumy region. It violated not only sovereign borders but also the limits of cruelty and common sense. Its endless goal was one thing: to destroy us. Today, however, we are celebrating Ukraine's 33rd Independence Day. What the enemy brought to our land has now returned to its own home. And those who wanted to turn our lands into a buffer zone must now consider that their country might become a buffer federation," the President said.
He emphasized that the enemy must know that every point in Russia posing a threat to the state and its people will eventually face a Ukrainian response.
"For all our people who would prefer never to know the names of these cursed places: Savasleyka, Olenya, Engels. Unfortunately, Ukrainians do know them. And so our enemy will also know what Ukrainian retribution looks like," he added.
Zelenskyy stressed that Russia will not dictate red lines to Ukrainians, as Ukraine will choose its own path.
"The faded eyes of their leader see the whole world as a gray zone. But we will not allow the land where the blue-and-yellow flag rightfully belongs to be turned into a gray zone. A sick old man from Red Square, who constantly threatens everyone with a red button, will not dictate any red lines to us. How we live, which path we take, and what choices we make will be determined only by Ukraine and Ukrainians. That is how independence works," Zelenskyy emphasized.
Ukraine's Independence Day
Today, Ukraine marks the 33rd anniversary of its declaration of independence. Additionally, August 24th marks exactly 30 months since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
Since February 2022, Ukrainian defenders have liberated Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions from occupiers, as well as parts of Kharkiv and Kherson regions, inflicted significant losses on the enemy, and continue to do so. For more on the key stages in the history of Ukraine's fight for independence, see our full report.
