Posted by: U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt
Two years ago, on a cold November night, a simple post on Facebook by a young journalist sparked a series of events that culminated in Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity.
Earlier that same day, Ukraine’s President had rejected a historic free trade deal between Ukraine and the European Union, suddenly and unexpectedly reversing decades of Ukrainian movement toward Europe.
What brought thousands of people out onto Kyiv’s Maidan that night, and in the weeks that followed, was the Ukrainian people’s conviction that UKRAINE IS EUROPE, regardless of what the President decreed.
Ukrainians stood together to demand a future rooted in shared European values – in freedom, dignity, and the right to determine their own future;
Ukrainians stood together to demand a future rooted in shared European values – in freedom, dignity, and the right to determine their own future;
And to prove that Ukraine is, as Ukrainians say, the heart of Europe.
Looking at these pictures, you see why Ukrainians dubbed this the Euromaidan. Everywhere, you see European Union flags. Everywhere, you see signs declaring confidently that “Ukraine is Europe.”
Two years later, as we commemorate the beginning of the Euromaidan, let’s rekindle that spirit: that spirit of community,
Of purpose,
Of resolve.
And let’s stand with Ukrainians in their continuing desire to build a better, brighter, European future.
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