Volunteering made Ukraine invincible in 2014, makes it invincible today, always – Zelensky

KYIV. Dec 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that volunteering made Ukraine invincible in 2014 and makes it invincible today and always during the celebrations on the occasion of the International Volunteer Day, held on the territory of the Mystetsky Arsenal museum complex in Kyiv.

"Ukrainian people have never been indifferent. We have always been responsive to problems, to the needs of others. We have always helped each other in trouble, and in an instant the concepts of ‘Ukrainians’ and ‘volunteers’ became synonymous," the press service quotes the president.

Zelensky said that "the moment when everything changed […] when everybody changed" is 2014, when the war in Donbas began.

The President recalled three stories of volunteers who left their usual peaceful life with the beginning of the armed aggression against Ukraine, in order to help the Ukrainian army. They brought helmets, body armor, thermal imagers and optical sights, first-aid kits and important medicines to the fighters who defended Ukraine on the front line.

"The third story is about an ordinary 11-year-old boy from the west of our state. An ordinary one who really wanted to be big in order to be an adult right away. And an unusual one who really wanted to just help adults. He saved money for a long time. In the summer he helped my mother to collect and sell apples, and in the fall he handed out advertising cards. In winter he learned Christmas carols and on holidays went to all the grandmothers, grandfathers, relatives, even second cousins. And now his little children’s piggy bank is filled to capacity. Bills of one, two, five, ten hryvnia, two twenty and even a hundred. But everything changed again in an instant. "Mom, I thought it over […] Probably, the bike will wait, send this to our guys […] They definitely cannot wait," Volodymyr Zelensky said.

The President noted that there are thousands of such courageous and selfless men, women and children in Ukraine – in every corner of the country.

"They are in the west, east, north, south and center of our beautiful country. They are in every city, in every village. On every street, in every house, in every family living in Ukraine. And living abroad. And together, thousands of men, women, grandparents, boys and girls – thousands of them turn into millions of us," Zelensky said.

According to Zelensky, volunteering made Ukraine invincible in 2014 and makes our state invincible today and forever.

"For it is impossible to defeat an army, the number of which is unknown. An army, whose ranks in the blink of an eye become tens, hundreds of thousands, millions of those who are not indifferent. Those who are ready to give everything they have, because they promised the guys a sight. Those who are ready to search necessary medicines all night. Those who believe that the bicycle will wait […] Millions of Ukrainians. Decent. Free. Not indifferent," the president said.

After the speech, he presented state awards and congratulated all those present on Volunteer Day.

During the celebrations, they talked about the development of the volunteer movement in Ukraine, which has acquired a special scale since the Revolution of Dignity and the beginning of the war in Donbas in 2014, about the history of modern world volunteering, which is more than 160 years old.

The invitees were also introduced to the types of volunteer activities. These are, in particular, medical and social assistance, adaptation to climate change and ecology, animal protection, psycho-rehabilitation assistance, humanitarian education and advocacy, "volunteering without borders."