Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Ukrainians on Independence Day. He stressed that Ukrainians will not be dictated red lines by the Kremlin.
Zelenskyy recorded a video message from the Sumy region, near the Psel River, several kilometers from the border with the Russian Federation.
"913 days ago, in particular, and through Sumy region, Russia went to war against us. It violated not only sovereign borders, but also the limits of cruelty and common sense. Infinitely striving for one thing: to destroy us. But today we celebrate the 33rd Independence Day of Ukraine. And what the enemy brought to our land has now returned to his home. And whoever wanted to turn our lands into a buffer zone must think so that the country does not become a buffer federation," the president said.
The head of state emphasized that the enemy must know that sooner or later a Ukrainian response will arrive at every point in the Russian Federation that is a source of danger to the life of the state and people.
"For all our people who would prefer never to know the names of these damned places: "Savasleyka", "Olenya", "Engels". But, unfortunately, Ukrainians know them. And therefore our enemy will know what retribution is in Ukrainian," he added.
Zelenskyy stressed that Russia will not dictate its red lines to Ukrainians, since Ukraine itself chooses its own path.
"The faded eyes of their boss perceive the whole world as a gray zone. But we will not allow the lands where the blue and yellow flag should rightfully be turned into a gray zone. The sick old man from Red Square, who constantly threatens everyone with the red button, will not dictate to us his own red lines. How to live, which path to take and what choice to make, only Ukraine and Ukrainians will determine for themselves. Because this is how independence works," Zelenskyy emphasized.