In his Independence Day address, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia made one fundamental mistake in its plans for Ukraine: it underestimated the Ukrainian people.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also highlighted the courage of Ukraine’s defenders, the resilience of Ukrainian society, the growing strength of our defence industry, and the need for continued international support.

“Over these 35 years, we have heard many predictions about ourselves. And almost all of them proved wrong. They said the state would not make it, that we would not withstand the upheavals. And on February 24, they said we would hold out for only a matter of days. But we have held out all this time – all this time of the war for independence,” he stressed.

“We are all human. We all want to live through times that are not historic, but simply quiet, peaceful, safe times. In a peaceful Ukraine. A Ukraine that made it. That stood its ground. That preserved itself and its independence. That is what we are fighting for.”