Zelenskyy says Ukraine will not give its land to occupier

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said Ukraine would never hand over its territories to Russia.

Speaking at the National Flag Day, Zelenskyy noted the flag of his country symbolised deliverance for Ukrainians returning from Russian captivity, as seeing the national colours reassured them that their ordeal was over.

“This very flag embodies a feeling of deliverance for those we bring back from Russian captivity. When they see the Ukrainian colours, they understand: the evil is over. This flag is the goal and the dream for many of our people in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. And they safeguard this flag, they keep it safe, because they know: we will not hand our land to the occupier”, the President said.

“This flag represents everything dearest to hundreds of thousands of our warriors – men and women from all over Ukraine, who are defending not just one particular direction, not only Vovchansk or Dobropillia, but our entire Ukraine, and who are risking their lives to win the right to life for our entire state”, he added.

“And may everyone who has contributed to such strength of Ukraine’s colours hear these words today, which are, above all, words of gratitude. They are richly deserved”, Zelenskyy concluded.

Ukraine’s National Flag Day was officially established by a decree of then-President Leonid Kuchma on August 23, 2004.