Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once again rallied Ukrainians to victory over Russia in a speech for Ukrainian Statehood Day to leaders and selected guests on Friday in Kiev's central St Michael's Square.
"[Russia] is foreign here and no trace of it will remain here," the president said, highlighting that a victory over Russia is the "national goal."
"Ukraine's victory can and must be such that any attempts by the enemy to return will be no more than the sick fantasies of a madman," Zelensky said.
Zelensky went on to present awards to soldiers, police officers and rescue workers.
Statehood Day was introduced by the president two years ago. It was set on the anniversary of the Christianization of the medieval empire of Kievan Rus in 988.
Next year the event will be brought forward by 13 days to conform to the Gregorian calendar, after a recent parliamentary decision to switch to the Western more modern calendar over the Orthodox one now associated with the Russian invader.
