The army operation in Donbas represents the birth of a real Ukrainian army, and the current battles in eastern Ukraine are fights for Ukraine's independence, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has said.
“Dear Ukrainian army, dear Ukrainian Armed Forces, National Guard,
happy birthday! As the operation in Sloviansk, operation in Druzhkivka
and operation in Donbas – are the birth ofa real Ukrainian Army,” the
president said in Sloviansk on July 7.
Poroshenko said that he considered the current battles in eastern Ukraine to be fights for Ukraine’s independence.
“Fights for Ukrainian independence are what is happening now. This is
a way a nation is toughened up. I congratulate myself and Ukraine,
congratulate it on its second birth, the second after Ukrainian
independence,” the president said.
According to him, it’s important that all, who live in Donbas see what’s happening, when Ukrainian soldiers come.
“Locals meet them as real liberators, [they are] hugging them and thanking them for freeing hostages,” Poroshenko said.
