Today, May 8, we commemorated Memorial Day and Victory Day in Odessa, paying tribute to the defenders of Ukraine who sacrificed their lives for the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of our country.
Over a decade ago, Ukraine embraced the European tradition of commemorating victory over Nazism, focusing not on celebration but on honoring the fallen of World War II from 1939 to 1945. The memory of war should cultivate the ability to cherish peace and resolutely defend it by all reasonable means. Today, Ukraine is fighting against Russian aggression, which poses a threat not only to our independence but also to the international order and the security of all humanity. The only path to restoring peace is to defeat the aggressor.
