Petro and Maryna Poroshenko congratulated everyone on Christmas. “Holy Evening. Christmas in a country that has been at war for far too long. The fourth year of a twelve-year war. And yet tonight we gather again, some nearby, others in our thoughts and prayers. In moments like these, words come hard, because there are too many losses – of people, homes, ordinary life, too much silence where voices rang just yesterday. And too many empty seats at the table, which today hurt especially. This Christmas is not about peace. But it is about the warmth we know how to preserve even when darkness surrounds us. About resilience, not always visible, yet holding this country up every day. And still, we are here, on our land, not by chance,” said the fifth President in his video address.
“Because there is something stronger than fear – love for those nearby and responsibility for those who will come after us. A soldier meets Christmas in the trench. Under a sky where, instead of the Christmas star, there are flashes of war. He holds this night not for himself. He holds it for those at home who must live, grow, fall in love, and build a future in a free country,” says Poroshenko.
“And alongside him is another, no less important work. Someone teaches children in shelters, trying to give them at least a piece of childhood. Someone weaves camouflage nets under the hum of a generator and sings to support one another. Someone restores light and warmth to homes, knowing that some will fall asleep tonight thanks to their work. Someone trains by lantern light to one day raise the Ukrainian flag so we can rejoice in simple victories again. And this is certainly not heroism for show. It is quiet, daily work of love,” believes Petro Poroshenko.
“I am often asked: what should we hold on to when everything that once gave us support is lost? How can we live on when the pain does not fade, and the future seems fragile and uncertain? My answer is simple and profoundly human: keep the heart open. Because only an open heart can let in a miracle,” the fifth President insists.
“A miracle not as a fairy tale or a promise of an easy life, but as the ability to live on, to love, to care for one another, to find the strength to smile at a child, support a neighbor, speak a kind word when it is most needed. A miracle is not breaking down when only days were allotted to us. A miracle is remaining human and keeping the light in one another even during war,” adds Maryna Poroshenko.
On this day, Ukrainian defenders pray for victory over the enemy and for the future of their country. “People who are there, on the front line, in the combat zone, are always sustained by faith. Faith in something good, something positive, something right. Everyone hides something personal under this phrase, but for many, it is, for example, a photo of a child, a photo of their family, a video of a child taking their first steps,” said war veteran Oleksiy Petrov.
“Family, loved ones, children. Especially children motivate us,” adds soldier Stanislav Krashchenko. “We think about returning home, about peace, about life after the war, when we meet again. We will meet after the war and have the chance to remember everything that happened between us. We joke, recall funny moments in each other’s behavior. We want peace in Ukraine already. We want the guys to come back home. At the moment, my comrade’s wife, who died on August 20, is about to give birth. This will be his third child. I wish these children would never see war,” says soldier Stepan Barna.
“I would say the only hope is in God. Because each year, unfortunately, neither the state nor the authorities give hope. The only thing a soldier in the trench on the front line can rely on is the Lord God, who protects and preserves him. And we’ve seen many such cases. When it seemed, in the most hopeless situations, when everything around tells you that you will not survive or get out, hope in God saved people,” recounts soldier Oleksandr Pohrebyskyi.
“Christmas is not only about light. Christmas is about birth. And every birth comes through pain, but always with hope. Through fear and loss. Through moments when it seems that moving forward is impossible. And yet, this is exactly how life begins. Today, Ukraine is being reborn. In fire, in resistance. And with the heavy responsibility for its own future. This is certainly not a quiet or easy birth. But in it lies great strength and immense love for life,” says Petro Poroshenko.
“We do not yet see everything that lies ahead. But we can already feel it. Ahead is life. Great, worthy, happy life. Because it is earned and fought for together,” adds Maryna Poroshenko.
“We will go through this path. With a faith that could not be broken. Because a country that is born through pain especially values life and truly knows how to protect each other. I ask you to call your loved ones today. Hug those who are near. And say what you have long postponed. We exist and we will remain on our land. Let the miracle into your heart. Quiet, warm, real. Christ is born! Let us glorify Him!” says Petro Poroshenko.
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