President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of Ukraine, during which he proposed reference points of the future Ukrainian Doctrine for nationwide discussion.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, government officials and representatives of the diplomatic corps also attended the session.
As Zelenskyy noted during his speech in the session hall of the parliament, Ukrainians have already shown that courage gives freedom and will prove that freedom gives success. "We will make it a Ukrainian axiom: freedom gives success," he said.
The President congratulated all citizens on the Constitution Day of Ukraine, which, despite everything, retains its free soul and is governed by its people.
Zelenskyy is convinced that Ukrainian society needs a new system, new rules, and new opportunities because, for a very long time, public institutions and representatives of the state treated Ukrainians cruelly, disparagingly, and predatorily.
"We will create a new and much stronger Ukraine! Let's all decide together what kind of winner Ukraine will be. Just as we protect freedom and independence together," the President said.
"As the Constitution lays the foundations, we need a Doctrine for our state. Clear, not blurred, bold Doctrine. For Ukraine, which is on its way to victory. And for Ukraine, the winner. This Doctrine should answer all the fundamental questions about Ukraine and our future – for ourselves, for our neighbors, and for everyone in the world," the Head of State said.
Based on the results of discussions in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, communities, media, on educational, public and business platforms in Ukraine, the text of the Ukrainian Doctrine will be developed and approved at a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
Separately, Zelenskyy invited Ukrainian warriors: from soldiers, sailors, and sergeants to generals, to participate in the discussion of the provisions of the future document.
"No one has the right to determine Ukraine's fate without asking them, our heroes. And I ask each member of the defense and security forces of Ukraine – to the extent that the conditions of war allow – to participate in our nationwide discussion on the Ukrainian Doctrine," the Head of State said.
As the guarantor of the Constitution of Ukraine, the President proposed five main reference points before the start of the nationwide discussion on the Ukrainian Doctrine.
The first is the philosophy of our victory.
The second is the global nature of Ukrainian security.
The third is the policy of heroes.
The fourth is the policy of justice.
The fifth is the transformation in 10 years (new foreign policy, economy, relations between the state and society, development of territories, education and science, culture, and level of security and freedom in Ukraine).
"These are the directions that can be laid out in these or other specific points that the nation will determine as important," the President said.
"Freedom is the child of indifference, and security is the brother of courage. The victorious Ukraine will be a country worthy of its heroes," the Head of State said.
After the speech, Zelenskyy presented the Gold Star orders to servicemen who were awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, and handed over the orders to members of the families of soldiers awarded this title posthumously.
In particular, Colonel Serhiy Yaremenko received the order from the hands of the President. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of the territory of our country, units of the anti-aircraft missile brigade under his leadership have destroyed a total of almost 490 enemy targets.
The Head of State presented the Gold Star of the Hero of Ukraine to the commander of the assault company of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant Oleksandr Kovalenko. In August 2014, he joined the Aidar volunteer battalion, as part of which he defended Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. After the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against our country, he inflicted significant losses on the enemy in manpower and equipment many times, personally capturing a serviceman of the Russian army. He repeatedly led the assault operations of the company in Donbas. The territory, which the infantry of the Wagner PMC was taking for four months, was liberated in four days by the assault company led by Oleksandr Kovalenko.
Zelenskyy also handed over orders to relatives of servicemen who were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.
In particular, the awards were given to the families of tank platoon commander Lieutenant Vitaliy Sapylo and senior tank platoon driver mechanic Oleksandr Lukianovych, who on February 25, 2022, during the defense of Ukraine's borders with Belarus, destroyed up to 30 pieces of Russian military equipment, but in an air attack near the village of Ivankiv, Kyiv region, they suffered injuries incompatible with life.
The President also handed over the Gold Star of the Hero of Ukraine to the family of the tank commander of the tank platoon, chief sergeant Oleksiy Seniuk, who, after the start of the full-scale Russian offensive, participated in the defense of the city of Chernihiv and died on February 27, 2022, while performing a combat mission.
The highest state award was also given to the mother of the deputy commander of the anti-aircraft missile battery, Lieutenant Vitaliy Movchan. On the day of the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, the anti-aircraft missile unit led by the lieutenant identified and destroyed the air targets of the enemy, bombing the positions of Ukrainian troops in Donbas. However, enemy Mi-24 helicopters, using the complex terrain, struck Vitaliy Movchan's combat vehicle.
The Head of State also handed over the order to the mother of junior lieutenant Yuriy Blokha, who died on March 2, 2022, in Mykolaiv region. He secured the departure of the security platoon, thereby saving the lives of the personnel, but in the enemy's mortar fire, he received a wound incompatible with life.
The award was given to the family of the artilleryman, senior soldier Oleksandr Labunsky, who, together with the commander of the rocket artillery battery, destroyed columns of Russian troops moving toward Kyiv and came under enemy fire. The serviceman died while performing a combat mission.
The order was also awarded to the mother and sister of Lieutenant Bohdan Korniychuk, who since 2020 participated in the Joint Forces Operation in Donbas and defended Ukraine during Russia's full-scale invasion. At the beginning of March 2022, in Donetsk region, he was withdrawing the combat equipment of the unit from under the strikes of Russian artillery, entered into an unequal battle with the enemy, and was mortally wounded, but at the cost of his life, he helped the rest of the tank company unit regroup and repel the invaders.
The Head of State handed over the Gold Star to the family of Staff Sergeant Serhiy Kulyk, an instructor for the training of artillery units of the Training Center of the International Peacekeeping and Security Center of the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Ground Forces Academy. At the beginning of March 2022, near the city of Bucha, Kyiv region, during the battle with the Russian occupiers, Serhiy Kulyk called in a fire on his own position and saved the lives of his comrades. Thanks to his courageous actions, a mass attack of the enemy was repulsed, and the manpower and equipment of the Russian army were destroyed.
The award was also given to the family of the deputy commander of the mechanized brigade, Captain Viktor Otserklevych. The captain repeatedly conducted in-depth reconnaissance behind enemy lines. At the beginning of April 2022, Viktor Otserklevych led subordinate personnel out of the enemy encirclement in Luhansk region. He got behind the wheel of an armored personnel carrier and drove to an observation post captured by the enemy, where he destroyed the Russian invaders at the cost of his own life. Thanks to this, the entire staff left the ring.
The President handed the order to the relatives of the commander of the mechanized platoon, Lieutenant Yulian Stupak, who died in early March 2022 during the liberation of the settlement of Husarivka, Kharkiv region. The lieutenant personally destroyed the enemy's tank, which enabled the units to gain more advantageous positions. Later, he covered the platoon's exit and died heroically, saving the lives of the personnel.
Those present observed a moment of silence in memory of those who died fighting for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also presented the award of the President of Ukraine Cross of Combat Merit to senior sergeant Halyna Kozachenko, senior sergeant Dmytro Hneva, soldier Serhiy Kolinko, lieutenant colonel Vasyl Krasovsky, major Bohdan Kuzmenko, colonel Ivan Lukashevych, and major Ivan Ursatiy.
