By KYIV. Dec 2 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The referendum on December 1, 1991 in Ukraine, which confirmed the Act of Proclamation of Independence of Ukraine, put an end to the history of the empire, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message on Thursday.
“On December 1, 31 years ago, a referendum was held that united the entire territory of our state. None of our people remained outside the All-Ukrainian decision. Kyiv and Sevastopol, Odesa and Crimea, Lviv and Cherkasy, Chernihiv and Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kherson, Zaporizhia and Luhansk, Khmelnytskyi and Kirovohrad regions, Volyn and Dnipropetrovsk regions, Sumy and Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil, Zhytomyr region and Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, Kyiv region, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Rivne … Everyone expressed their support. People confirmed the Act of Proclamation of Independence of Ukraine – freely and legally,” he said.
Zelensky stressed that it was “a real referendum, not some kind of imitation. It was an honest referendum, and that is why it was recognized by the world.”
“And it was important that not just politicians, but people in particular put an end to the history of the empire, which was built on denying the will of the people. Which killed, trying to perpetuate the denial of the will of the people, but which was overthrown by people anyway. And precisely by their own will,” he said.
Since then, Zelensky noted, “we saw many figures who could not put up with the fact that the empire had been overthrown. We are still defending Ukraine against such ‘comrades’ who wanted to celebrate the centenary of the empire this year instead of another anniversary of freedom.”
“But Ukrainian rules will prevail. Our desire to live freely expressed on August 24 and confirmed on December 1 will not be broken. Ukrainians will never again be gears of some empires. We have already gained it and we will ensure the full independence of our state.” He stressed.
