Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Underlines National Unity In New Year’s Address

In his New Year greeting to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dispensed with lofty words, saying that he wouldn’t bore his fellow citizens with terms such as “GDP, dropping inflation, implementation, diversification, and other unintelligible words.”

Instead, Zelenskiy called for national unity regardless of predilections, ideals, or language in the mostly bilingual country where the majority interchangeably speak Ukrainian and Russian.

“Our passports do not designate what is a proper or improper Ukrainian,” he said in his first New Year’s address as Ukraine’s sixth president.

Zelenskiy also called for mutual respect between different communities.

“Dear Ukrainians! In the new year 2020, I want all of us to respect each other,” he said. “To be in good health, and have plenty and many reasons to smile. I wish everyone…a good night’s sleep, not to overeat, and of course, light and pleasant dizziness in the morning. And let’s remember that to love Ukraine is to love all Ukrainians.”