Address by Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk on the occasion of the Victory Day

Dear compatriots!

Ukrainians are the sixty-ninth time celebrating the liberation of Ukraine and Europe from the brown plague. And for the first time in sixty nine years it is happening in wartime. Albeit undeclared, but the real war led by the Russian regime against Ukraine.

For the first time after 1941 the enemy has crossed the borders of Ukraine, has violated its territorial integrity, annexed a part of the territory, sent sabotage and terrorist groups. Ukrainians are peaceful people who had never attacked anyone. But we have left no other choice but to take up weapons.

As if in a time machine we got back in the thirties. From thence has the leader of one of the neighboring countries borrowed his shocking rhetoric. Doesn’t the annexation of Crimea resemble the occupation of the Sudetenland? Doesn’t the non-recognition of Ukrainians as a separate from Russians nation look like discussions on preparations for the Anschluss of Austria?

Having faced with external aggression and terrorism, Ukraine even more values the immortal heroism of those who fought for the peace 69 years ago. Those who under different flags fought for Ukraine, for life, for the future.

About three million Ukrainian soldiers did not return from the battlefield. Five and a half million people in Ukraine were killed on the occupied territories. The war had destroyed nearly 700 cities and 28,000 villages. And the man who says now in Moscow that “we would have won without you” is making a desecration of the memory of millions who died.

We, the people-winner, have the right to be proud of our contribution to the overcoming of fascism. And in 1945 Ukraine deservedly became one of the founding countries of the UN.

Let’s commemorate those who died. Bow to those who are still alive and whose example we should follow now when our Homeland is facing again a mortal danger.

On behalf of the Government of Ukraine and me personally I cordially congratulate the veterans, children of war, anyone who, like me, believes May 9 as a great day!

I appeal to all patriots of Ukraine of different ideological views. I urge to refrain from any actions that enemies of Ukraine may use in the information war against our country.

I don’t expect that extremists will pause in its bloody affairs even on this day. Ukrainian leadership is informed about the black plans of Russian saboteurs and its mercenaries. We are taking all measures for safety, but we are opposed by people who are ready for anything. Please, if possible, refrain from any mass actions, and in case of participation in them not to succumb to provocations. Demonstrate tolerance to flags, slogans and other views.

An anti-terrorist mission in Donetsk region, in which our military officers demonstrate similar valor as their grandfathers and great-grandfathers with the Red Army or UPA [Ukrainian insurgent army], is launched exceptionally to curb terrorism. It is kicked off against those who have taken arms in their hands and kill people. But we talk to everyone who speaks his views in a civilized way. Even those [views] which strongly contradict ours.

Unsolicited and following Geneva agreement, we have started a nationwide dialog to tackle the new Ukraine’s Constitution. Principal changes comprise a large-scale decentralizing of power, extension of powers of communities, districts and the regions. We are to abolish the posts of administrations’ heads who used to be sent from Kyiv. Power will be carried out by executive committees formed by councils elected by people. A right to command finance will be handed over to the local communities together with the assumed authorities. When speaking decentralizing the presumption is it concerns humanitarian policy as well. Which other holidays to celebrate, whom to recognize as heroes, what church to pray in, what languages to speak – all these things can never be foisted on people from the top. These are the things where local specificities should be accounted for.

We keep in force Kivalov-Kolesnichenko language law approved by the Regions’ Party and Communist Party representatives. In the regions with the majority of Russian speaking citizens it has a juridical status of regional. In fact, the rights and opportunities of it in those regions are equal to the national Ukrainian language. As the Head of the Government, in the process of considering amendments to the Constitution I will suggest a norm stipulating that on preserving the status of Ukrainian language as the only national language the local councils shall receive a right to grant the special status to Russian and other languages. It proves impossible to secure unity within the country unless we learn to hear to each other and to compromise.

Moreover, the Government has initiated a draft law on holding an all-Ukrainian consultative-advisory referendum on May 25. We wish to find out opinion of people concerning unity of the country, political regime. Regrettably, the Parliament hasn’t supported us yet. The views of people don’t pose any concern neither for Communists nor for the Regions’ Party. They haven’t voted for that, none. They are blocking in the same way the amnesty or exemption from responsibility of those rioters who will willingly lay down arms and who hasn’t committed any serious crimes.

I have paid a visit to Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa and Kharkiv. I was listening to the people, they were listening to me. We have heard each other. All the four visits have made me convinced that the overwhelming majority of people see their future being the part of indivisible Ukraine. Moscow knows that, so they stake on brute force.

But we are stronger, at least, in spirit and will. I am looking into the future with confidence. We shall stand all the tests with dignity. We shall preserve our unity.

Congratulations, dear compatriots!

Glory to Ukraine!