PRESS RELEASE : Behind the courage and wisdom of the Ukrainian people are thousands of real stories, names and feats – President at The Atlantic Council’s Distinguished Leadership Awards
The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 12 May 2022.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke at The Atlantic Council’s Distinguished Leadership Awards, which was won by the Ukrainian people. The prize was awarded to Ukrainians for their resilience and courage in resisting the Russian invasion. This is the first time The Atlantic Council has awarded an entire people or nation.
In a video address, Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked for the award and noted that it is a fair and correct gesture to honor with this award all the people of Ukraine, because courage is a national trait of Ukrainian character.
“Today the whole world witnesses this and admires the heroism of Ukrainians. At the same time, I want it not to become something ordinary for everyone. And for this we must say and remember that behind the courage and wisdom of our people, there are thousands of real stories, names and heroic feats,” the Head of State said.
According to him, the world should know and hear about Ukrainians, and have a clear idea and understanding about the people of Ukraine.
“First of all, we are the nation of the best defenders. These are our ground forces, air and naval forces, airborne assault troops, special operations forces, the National Guard, intelligence, border guards, and territorial defense fighters,” the President emphasized.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the stories of Ukrainian heroes, including border guards from Zmiinyi Island, who were not afraid of the flagship of the Russian fleet – cruiser Moskva, as well as indomitable defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal, who have been holding the line there for several months already with extremely limited resources.
The President stressed that the Ukrainian people are people who do not spare themselves for the sake of others, these are brave children, elderly people who have gone through too many hardships, hundreds of thousands of those who are fighting, and millions of those who are volunteering and helping.
“This is a business that has shifted to the needs of the country. Clothing designers sew military uniforms, restaurateurs feed free lunches, bakeries bake bread for IDPs and lonely people. This is a university professor who continues to lecture to his students in the trenches. A violinist playing for people during an air alarm in a bomb shelter. These are civilians of Ukrainian cities and villages, who became a living wall on the way of the occupiers – stopping military machines and turning tanks in the opposite direction. These are inhabitants of Demydivka, who flooded their own village not to let the occupier into Kyiv,” the President told.
He also recalled the brave residents of the temporarily occupied Kherson, Melitopol, Berdyansk, Enerhodar, Mariupol, towns and villages, who, despite threats and shots from the invaders, went to peaceful rallies in support of Ukraine.
“These are millions of Ukrainians who are now defending their Homeland and the whole world. Do not be afraid and come to Ukraine. Hear thousands of similar stories about us, Ukrainians. Look into their brave eyes, shake their strong hands, and you will see that they are doing all this not for glory, that they need not only awards, but also concrete help and support,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
According to the President, the citizens of Ukraine need weapons, financial support and increased sanctions on Russia.
“And the most important: the feeling that in this difficult struggle they are not alone, that they are supported by you, by the whole world – free states and free nations of our planet,” the President concluded.
The award for the Ukrainian people was handed over to Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova.
The Atlantic Council’s Distinguished Leadership Awards is an annual live event in Washington. This year the ceremony was attended by about 500 people from more than 30 countries.
