New Year's greetings from Putin, Lukashenko and Zelensky: Who set the record
The presidents of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine congratulated their people on the New Year.
Vladimir Putin's address was heard before anyone else - when the New Year arrived in Kamchatka. Observers noted that this was the longest New Year's speech in all the years of his reign. It lasted 6 minutes 22 seconds and was about 700 words in length. Putin focused on overcoming the consequences of the pandemic and emphasized the role of the Russian people in this process. He did not talk about politics, only about universal human values.
Alexander Lukashenko's congratulations went on air at the same minutes when Vladimir Putin congratulated the residents of the European part of Russia, and lasted the same amount of time. The Belarusian president emphasized the importance of upholding Belarusian independence.
“Painstakingly, day after day, our sovereign state has been building and flourishing for 30 years now. And you must agree, looking back at the early 90s, we have something to be proud of. We have built a modern, stable and successful country. Despite the challenges of time, we confidently set new goals and move forward. All this is the result of your work, your dedication. And the answer to those who do not want to see our young independent state on the world map. But it will happen! Also because today on Belarusian soil courageous people are born who are ready to work, fight, and if necessary, give their lives for their country, for their people,” Lukashenko said.
The self-proclaimed “leader of the Belarusian nation” Svetlana Tikhanovskaya also posted her congratulations online. She began her speech in complete darkness with the words:
“I'm angry too. We thought it shouldn't be that long. It shouldn't be that difficult. There shouldn't be so many losses. We wanted a new country and a new future. And I am also angry that in response to this the Belarusians received revenge, violence and crisis. It’s angry that all year the country’s budget was spent on debts and the machine of repression - at the cost of food becoming more and more expensive, and the queues to see doctors getting longer. I am angry that we have been deprived of a sense of security in our home. It makes me angry when they tell me that everything was in vain. It hurts me too,” Tikhanovskaya said.
Listing the “heroes” whose memory should be honored on New Year’s Eve, she mentioned Andrei Zeltser, who opened fire on Belarusian law enforcement officers who came to arrest him and killed one of them. Tikhanovskaya’s speech lasted twice as long as Lukashenko’s: she delivered the second part of the speech in the little-used Belarusian language.
Another Belarusian political emigrant Pavel Latushko posted a video saying that there is no need to celebrate the New Year at all, because “the new Belarus has not yet arrived” - it is better to focus on disrupting the referendum on the constitution of the country.
The most verbose and politicized was the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky. His congratulations came out an hour later than the others (due to the time difference between Kiev and Moscow) and lasted 20 minutes. It was again performed in the form of a skit: while the president was delivering the first part of the speech, it was shown how prominent citizens of Ukraine were visiting him at the Mariinsky Palace. When everyone gathered at the table, Zelensky switched to politics. He even brought it into football.
“And in the quarter finals we lost to England. We lost only because our guys did not want to spoil Ukraine’s relations with its strategic partner,” Zelensky said. He later stated that Ukraine is building “a fleet jointly with Britain, drones and corvettes jointly with Turkey, and missiles themselves.”
He did not ignore the topic of Crimea.
“We are gathering the world for the liberation of Crimea. How loudly this year “Crimea is Ukraine!” was heard! The voice of not only Ukraine, but also the 46 participants of the Crimean Platform. We can say: we returned Crimea to the world agenda, so that one day we can say: we returned Crimea to Ukraine. And how important it is to return all the prisoners. Everyone,” Zelensky said.
He promised to provide apartments to all “veterans of the war in Donbass” next year.
“All veterans of the war in Donbass will be able to hang photos of their brothers with whom they defended their land in their homes. And right behind them are all our military. I believe this will be a photo from peaceful Donetsk, Lugansk, Crimea,” Zelensky said.
He called on citizens not to be afraid of a shutdown of heat and electricity, and the fact that Ukrainian black soil will be transported abroad by wagons.
“We were scared inside the country. And they scared me from outside. But any army on the other side of the border does not scare us, because the extraordinary army on our side of the border protects us,” Zelensky said.
He once again stated that his main goal was to end the war.
“Unfortunately, we have not yet ended the war in the east of our state. And this is my main goal. That's why I say "for now." Because next year will definitely be better! So that neighbors come to visit us - with jellied meat and a bottle, and not with weapons and without knocking. And so that your friends - and that they are real, ready to fight for you - not on Twitter, but nearby. And so that relatives come. And to come more often. From Donbass, from Crimea. But not to visit, but to return home, because we are all one family. Both Donbass and Crimea. And as soon as we remove the demarcation line in our heads, it will disappear on the map,” Zelensky concluded pathetically.
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