Your Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, Reverend Fathers, Archbishop Daniel,

Your Excellencies, dear friends of Ukraine!

I have to admit, I did not expect to be standing at this podium tonight.

President Zelenskyy was supposed to be here.

I spoke with him, and I know how much he wanted to join you in person and accept this beautiful award himself.

But, as you can imagine, the President’s schedule is not entirely his own in these dark times. Frankly, neither is mine.

Russia’s barbaric war against Ukraine’s independence and against innocent civilians has entered its most brutal phase.

My wife Svitlana, who is here with us, and our daughter, we just returned from Ukraine few weeks ago. And I can tell you, this war has never been so scary and brutal as it is now.

And, sadly, it is this cruel war that dictates the President’s agenda — day after day.

So here I am — at very short notice — humbled and honored to accept the Beacon of Hope Award on behalf of President Zelenskyy and on behalf of the brave Ukrainian people.

Your Eminence,

Archbishop Elpidophoros,

Dear Andrew, Dear Mike, Dear George,

Members of the Board of Trustees,

In the name of all Ukrainians, I wish to thank you all, to thank the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine for this wonderful award.

And I must say, I like its inspiring name.

As a Ukrainian diplomat, I spend most of my time at the United Nations. And let me assure you: a beacon of hope is a very useful thing to have there as well.

Sometimes it is the only thing that keeps you going through a pointless Security Council meeting.

But jokes aside, the situation in Ukraine has never been as serious and as dangerous as it is today.

And that is why this award shall serve as a wake-up call to our American friends — and bring a renewed sense of urgency to act.

If you allow me one personal remark, I am frankly sick and tired of hearing how “resilient” Ukrainians are.

Because resilience has already become – not for everyone but for some our friends and partners – a convenient excuse to sit and wait and just expect us to endure all the horrors and hardships of war and to go through all nine circles of Dante’s Inferno.

Ukraine’s perseverance should never become an alibi for our partners not to go all in and not to pull out all the stops.

Let me ask you, good people — what happened to the America we once knew, admired, and looked up to?

I grew up in the Soviet Union and for us this America has always been a Beacon of Hope. And I can tell you – being here today, speaking with you – I have a feeling that this America is still there. America is back and because of you, because of your engagement, because of your dedication, because of your support or your empathy. This America will come back.

I will bring this award back home as a beacon of hope that the United States and the great American people will stand by Ukraine and will leave no stone unturned to stop the war.

Your Eminence, friends,

I promised to keep this speech under three minutes.

Which, for an ambassador at the UN, should probably qualify as another Beacon of Hope Award.

Dear friends,

Please, welcome the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Слава Україні!

God Bless America!