Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a heartfelt Easter address on Sunday, urged his fellow citizens to remain hopeful as the war in Ukraine entered its 1,152nd day. Speaking from in front of the iconic Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Zelensky, dressed in a traditional grey embroidered vyshyvanka, delivered a message of unity, resilience, and faith.
“Ukraine never loses faith,” Zelensky declared. “Because this faith is in each other. In those who stand next to you. In Ukrainian men, in Ukrainian women. Faith that evil may have its hour but God will have his day.”
Marking Easter Sunday, which this year falls on the same day for both Orthodox and Western Christian churches, Zelensky’s speech aimed to strengthen the nation’s spirit amid ongoing conflict with Russia. He urged Ukrainians to persevere through the difficult path of war, assuring them that peace would eventually return.
“The day of life will come. The day of peace. The day of Ukraine,” he said. “A day that lasts a century. And we will be able to gather together again. At one table. On a peaceful Easter.”
Zelensky’s address came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a surprise one-day ceasefire for Easter. However, Ukrainian officials reported continued overnight attacks along the front lines, accusing Russian forces of staging a “pretence of a pause.”
“We know what we are defending,” Zelensky affirmed. “We know what we are fighting for. For whom and for whose sake.”
As the war grinds on, Zelensky’s Easter message served as both a spiritual and patriotic rallying cry, calling on Ukrainians to remain steadfast in their belief in victory and the eventual return of peace.
