PRESS RELEASE : President of Ukraine noted the help of the UK Prime Minister and invited him to participate in the cancellation of the postal block dedicated to the 31st anniversary of independence

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 24 August 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded the Order of Freedom to Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson who is on a visit to our country.

“Today, on the day of our independence, which we celebrate in spite of everything, I have the honor to present on behalf of all Ukrainians the Order of Freedom to Boris. This award fully reflects what Boris did and does for our country and the whole of Europe,” said the Head of State.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the award is a manifestation of respect for Great Britain and gratitude to the entire British people for their strong support of Ukraine.

The head of the British government noted that the award is a recognition of his country’s efforts to help Ukraine.

In addition, the second symbolic plaque on the Walk of the Brave, which was opened the day before on Constitution Square in Kyiv, was dedicated to Boris Johnson.

“We are personally grateful to Boris Johnson for his leadership, grateful for all these months of support, grateful to the society of Great Britain for the great help that the great power – Great Britain – provided to us every day, constantly, during the full-scale invasion,” said the President of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine wants to thank all the leaders of the states who from the first days helped our country defend freedom and independence in the war against the Russian invader.

“We will thank not only in words, but also historically. Therefore, the name of Prime Minister of Great Britain Boris Johnson will appear on this Walk of the Brave today,” he said.

The Prime Minister of Great Britain noted that this award belongs to the entire British people that supports Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Boris Johnson also took part in the ceremony of cancellation of “Free. Unbroken. Indomitable” postage block, which was issued by Ukrposhta on the 31st anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. The postal block included a stamp with the image of a Ukrainian soldier and six stamps with illustrations showing the tragedy of a full-scale Russian invasion.

The illustrations are made in the form of a black and white chronicle with color accents. Each of the images is a separate tragic story that happened during the wartime in different regions of Ukraine. They are united by the word “war”. The stamps depict a woman standing in a high-rise on the ruins of a destroyed apartment; a mother and a child hiding from missile attacks in the subway; a girl in front of a pile of burnt cars; Drama theater in Mariupol with the signal inscription “Children”, which became the last refuge for many Ukrainians; Sviatohirsk Lavra, which was repeatedly attacked by the occupiers; baby stroller, abandoned suitcases and toys.

The postal block is made in a graphic style. The author of the block is Anton Khrupin, a young Ukrainian designer from Kramatorsk.

After the event, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Boris Johnson had a walk in Kyiv downtown.