We were, we are and we will be.

This is not just a beautiful slogan. It is the formula of our survival, our genetic code and our daily manifesto for the world.

Ukrainian Statehood Day is not about frozen history in textbooks and not about a formal date on the calendar. It is about a living, pulsating connection of generations. About the same invisible but strong thread that stretches from princely Kyiv, through the Cossack freemen and the liberation struggles of the 20th century - right to each of us today.

Statehood is not a given, but a daily action. Just as our ancestors have been proving our right to freedom for centuries, so we are proving it today with our every step, every deed and every day of struggle.

We stand today so that our descendants can live freely tomorrow. Our roots are too deep, and our will is too strong to break us.

Happy Ukrainian Statehood Day! Glory to Ukraine!