Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said that May 9 is a "sacred date" for everybody.
"The victory over Nazism is our common holiday that unites the people of Ukraine and all nations around the world. Through this holiday, we reaffirm our commitment to the values of human life, peaceful coexistence, cooperation, and the prosperity of all nations… May 9 is a sacred date for all of us," he said on Independence Square in Kyiv on the occasion of Victory Day.
Yanukovych said that Victory Day was an important milestone in creating a new humane world.
"The building of a democratic Europe started sixty-six years ago, and we are currently seeking to join it," he said.
"We remember the talks about the hierarchy of nations, and the benefits of some nations over others. This is the first step on the path of discord, hatred and the worst thing – bloodshed," Yanukovych said.
"The state will give an adequate response to any attempts to split the country. I am deeply outraged at the attempts of political speculation over the tragedies of the twentieth century for the sake of cheap popularity. Some figures are trying to split the Ukrainians again," he said.
The president noted that Ukraine would have enough wisdom and tolerance to avoid this, owing to the historical lessons of World War II.
He said that the course for the development of a civic nation, the deepening of international understanding and intercultural dialog within the country, as well as the course for ensuring good neighborly relations and mutually beneficial partnership in foreign policy, would be steadily implemented.
"This is our common responsibility before our hero fathers," Yanukovych said.
The president said that the memory of the victory in the Great Patriotic War would be passed on from generation to generation and would be the key to the country’s future.
He recalled that there was no Ukrainian family that has not experienced the pain and hardship of war.
"This is our common pain," he said.
"Veterans are our heroes, and we all are their debtors," Yanukovych said, adding that the care about veterans is the duty of the government at all levels and the entire society.
