Ukraine managed to thwart Moscow's plan to create Novorossiya, but the former Soviet republic's position remains extremely precarious, President Petro Poroshenko said in a speech at a parade in central Kyiv to mark Independence Day.
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“From the official date, August 24 turns into the largest, main holiday in the country.
The twenty-fifth year of Independence must pass as if on fragile ice. We must understand: the slightest careless step can become fatal,” Poroshenko said.
“Thanks to the efforts of our army and diplomats, the entire Ukrainian people, Russia did not achieve its goal. Ukraine and Ukrainians survived and withstood the blow. We were, we are and we will be. And let these words of mine be remembered in the distant future, when they celebrate the first hundred years of Independence.
But Novorossia is the same myth as that of the famous writer Tolkien, the country of Mordor.
The military liberated most of Donbass. We defended the European choice, and soon the Association Agreement with the EU, which remains to be ratified by only two EU countries, despite the opposition of Moscow, will come into force and be implemented in full.
Russia could not destroy the unity of the international coalition. Meanwhile, the sanctions inflicted and deal a powerful blow to the Russian economy.
Does all this mean that the enemy has abandoned the idea of a direct invasion or militant offensive deep into Ukraine? No. Russian armed groups near our border in the East today already number more than 50 thousand people. There are also more than 40 thousand in the occupied territories, including 9 thousand career military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, who are in leadership positions, thereby forming units of the Russian army in our territories.
Moscow-Voentorg supplied the militants with up to 500 tanks, up to 400 artillery systems, and up to 950 armored combat vehicles. This week alone, three large columns crossed our border in the direction of Lugansk. Donetsk, Debaltsevo.
Is this threat imminent? Not anymore. The enemy knows that we are ready to fight back, and the cost of escalation will be too high for Russia. Therefore, he also has an alternative strategy - to undermine the situation within our country, and to antagonize Ukraine with its key partners, leaving Ukraine alone with the aggressor.
Unfortunately, some of the Ukrainian politicians play along with this plan. This in no way means they are collaborating with Russia, and I am not going to make unfounded accusations.
This does not happen out of malice, but due to myopia or irresponsibility; due to unwillingness or inability, in the conditions of election fever, to realize the consequences of their dangerous initiatives.
What do I mean? For example, attempts to proclaim campaigns either against Kyiv, or, conversely, calls for an immediate victorious march to Moscow; the desire to disrupt the adoption of amendments to the Constitution, or to bury the Minsk agreements, including the demand for their denunciation.
Finally, sowing panic, despondency and depression: “everything is lost.” It’s not lost, my dears! But it will be much more difficult if we pursue irresponsible policies; when to think how to please - instead of saving people and the country from mortal danger,” Poroshenko emphasized.
“There are cautious reasons to believe that the economy has overcome the deep stress caused by the war. Business is adapting, finding new markets to replace the Russian one that is completely closed to us - Russia is also not stopping the economic war against us, trying to exhaust us. However, economic growth may resume in the coming months. This will happen only due to the absence of military escalation,” the Ukrainian president also assured.
“Russian aggression became the catalyst for our unification. We have finally formed as a single Ukrainian political nation. Today we are stronger than yesterday.
We cannot be enslaved or broken. We were born free in our own land. And we are ready to defend it to the end, no matter what the cost,” Poroshenko concluded.