Zelenskyi congratulates Ukrainians on New Year: full video

Late in the evening on December 31, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi congratulated Ukrainians on the New Year.

This year's New Year's greeting of the President is built in the format of a conversation with children aged 5-9, during which the head of state described the events that took place in Ukraine in 2020 in a language understandable to children.

"We live in a big, beautiful country, where there's incredible nature, generous land, smart and talented children, where all presidents in their New Year's greetings always say the phrase: "Dear Ukrainians! It was a tough year." You ask, was 2020 difficult? A little so," Zelenskyi said.

The head of state noted that in 2020 there were tears of pain and tears of pride.

"There were things we were ashamed of and things we were proud of. Something you'd want to forget. And something we'll never forget. And there were people with whom we became even greater friends. People with whom we became strategic partners. Those with whom we tried to quarrel, but failed. Those who have always supported Ukraine and continue to do so," President said.

The President noted that this year, Ukraine had events to be proud of, but also those to be ashamed of. As for the latter, the address reminded Ukrainians of the riot in Novy Sanzhary. The Office also mentioned the UIA plane crash in Iran, forest fires in eastern Ukraine, the crash of an An-26 plane with cadets near Chuhuiev.

"I'll say clearly to you. And it's logical because everything we do, we do just for you…

2020 reminded us of how many heroes there really are among us.

In the spring, we all started to get sick. It turned out that hospitals and pharmacies lack much. Why? It's just that some people lost their sense of smell long before the COVID.

And we felt like in the movies when it seems that only superheroes can save us. Adults don't believe in their existence.

But this year, as in 2014, we are convinced again that superheroes exist. And our medics joined our military. Our super-doctors. Laboratory super-worker. Fast super-drivers. Super-pilots. Super border guards. Super-teachers. Our super firefighters and super rescuers. And we definitely have no choice but to be a super-Ukraine. So?

Yes, it was a year when, unfortunately, cataclysms destroyed housing and nature, and a year when, fortunately, we destroyed stereotypes.

For example, in Ukraine, it's impossible to build good roads. This myth left us in all four directions on all four thousand kilometers of improved roads.

Someday you'll be 18, and you will drive cars on Ukrainian roads. We tried to keep these roads from getting older as you grow older. And we're not tired.

This year has proved that the Okhmadit Children's Hospital can be completed and not handed over like a mace to every next president of Ukraine. What we can "demolish" a monument to corruption, erected in 2004 and turn the legendary long-term construction of Ukraine into a new bridge in Zaporizhzhia in eight months. And rebuild 150 bridges all over Ukraine.

And we don't listen to bad mouths in social networks. After someone, there'll be the posts left. And after someone, there'll be the bridges.

This year has shown that it's possible to create modern check-points for citizens from Donbas and Crimea, where they'll finally understand who treats them as people and who treats them as "hostages."

This year has shown that we can talk about the army, and we can give the largest budget in history for security and defense. That the state can start joint construction of corvettes and order three new Ukrainian planes from "Antonov" for the first time since independence.

And the interest rates for business loans may not be 20, 18, or 14 percent, but small, such as you: 5%, 7%, or 9%. Who's 9 years old? That's the percentage that we can have.

2020 proved once again that Ukraine doesn't leave its own people. And we don't care where we bring our people back from. The ORDLO basements, the Russian prison, or the Chinese Wuhan. These are captured sailors of a tanker from Libya or the dead crews,  passengers from Iran.

And we are equally happy to return 250,000 citizens trapped in quarantine around the world, or one Ukrainian. Our defender. Unconquered Vitalii Markiv.

And most importantly, this year reminded us of what silence is. The words "They didn't shoot today." Days when the news says: "There are no losses today." Weeks when mothers, wives, and children don't cry. Months when our military doesn't die. 158 days of the ceasefire in Donbas. The longest since the beginning of the war. 158 days of truce. Imperfect? Yes, and it's true. But is it unnecessary because of this? No. And it's also true.

You know, you're still very young and you may not fully understand why this is happening. But now you must know one thing for sure: Ukrainian defenders are the best in the world. They are brave and very, very strong. Unfortunately, that's what happens, and God takes some of them to heaven. The best and bravest. This year we tried very hard for God to leave as many of them as possible in Ukraine. That they may continue to protect us and bring peace. It's possible. Peace is close. It will definitely come…

Dear Ukrainians! Next year, we'll celebrate the 30th anniversary of our independence. We are a great nation. We have the courage of Sviatoslav, the greatness of Volodymyr, the wisdom of Yaroslav. We have Shevchenko. Moreover, we have two of them! And being the president of such wonderful people is a great pride. And a great responsibility. And I'll do my best so that in a year and all the following years, on the same day and time, I won't be ashamed to look you in the eye."

The President mentioned prominent Ukrainians this year had taken away, including scientist Borys Paton, writer Mykhailo Zhvanetskyi, composer Myroslav Skoryk, and director Roman Viktiuk.

He also noted the title of the strongest man on the planet belonged to Ukrainian Oleksii Novikov.

"And when you argue over who's stronger. Batman, Wolverine, or Deadpool… In fact, the strongest is Ukrainian. Our hero, Oleksii Novikov, became the strongest man on planet Earth this year. And we have no choice but to become the strongest country," Zelenskyi said.

In his New Year's greeting, Zelenskyi also paid special attention to Ukrainians living in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea and ORDLO. He addressed them in Russian and urged them to adjust their clocks back to be with the whole of Ukraine.

"I don't want to say on Bankova in Kyiv that there'll be peace in Ukraine but say it on Artem in Donetsk that peace in Ukraine has come. And to write "Crimea is Ukraine" not on the Internet but the sand, on a beach in Yalta, on the Ukrainian sand of the Ukrainian beach of Ukrainian Yalta. I know that Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea now live in a different time. Almost an hour ago, you were told on TV that the New Year had come, but you've been waiting for us for almost an hour to celebrate the New Year together. As one family. As one nation. As one country. So, Donbas and Crimea! Adjust your watches back. Be with us!" President said.