Dear Commissioner Camara, Excellencies, Ambassadors, Consuls General, members of the diplomatic corps, dear Ukrainians, дорога українська громадо, шановні герої-воїни Сергій Марчук і Сергій Ющенко, дорогий пане Добрянськмй! Слава Україні!
It’s a privilege to raise Ukraine’s flag in the very heart of New York — the only city in the world where you can have breakfast in Little Italy, lunch in Chinatown, and have a Ukrainian dinner in the East Village … all without leaving the subway.
Every block feels like a different country. Which means that as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations, I’m still technically working at the UN even when I walk to the grocery store.
Here in New York, people say: if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. In Ukraine, we say: if you can survive your mother-in-law’s cooking advice, you can survive anything.
New York is the city that never sleeps. Well… Ukrainians can relate! In the dark times of war, we don’t get much sleep either.
The only difference is, it’s not because of Broadway shows or late-night pizza. For us, it’s air-raid sirens, drone and missile attacks, and blackouts.
It’s because our soldiers, our volunteers, our entire nation are tirelessly working 24/7 to defend independence.
So in a way, Ukraine is like New York — full of energy and creativity, never resting, always moving forward, always fighting for its place under the sun.
And we are inspired knowing that right here, in this great city, our American friends are standing shoulder to shoulder with us.
Commissioner Camara,
I thank you for this gesture.
When our blue-and-yellow flies together with the Stars and Stripes, it reminds us that freedom is stronger than fear, and that we are not alone.
For us Ukrainians, flags are not just fabric — they are like Wi-Fi: when you see them, you know you are connected.
It is regrettable that Mayor Eric Adams cannot attend this ceremony. Running New York City is like being the coach of a football team where everybody wants to be quarterback. I hoped he’d enjoy this celebration as an escape from the jungle of local politics — at least for a few moments.
As the municipal election race is heating up, we might soon need a United Nations peacekeeping force to mediate the debates.
But the Mayor does not have to worry: that is not going to happen — because finding common ground in the UN can be as hard as finding a parking spot in Manhattan.
As we celebrate Ukraine’s Independence, let us celebrate not just a date in history, but the living bond between our two nations.
One day soon, we will raise our flag not only here in Manhattan, but proudly again in every corner of a free and peaceful Ukraine.
When these two flags fly together above downtown, it is not just a gesture of friendship between two nations. It tells a story that unites us: the story of people who never give up, who believe that liberty is worth fighting for, and who know that courage is contagious.
And before I close my remarks, let me remind you of one special page of American history that has always impressed me.
In late August 1776, only weeks after declaring independence, America’s revolution nearly ended before it had begun. On the fields of Long Island, General Washington’s army faced overwhelming British power. Defeat seemed certain, and many feared the dream of freedom was lost. Yet, in the dead of night, Washington led a daring retreat across the East River.
Boats slipped through the mist, oars cutting silently through the water, hearts pounding with fear and hope alike. Washington did not win the battle — but he saved the army, and with it, the source of liberty. What looked like the end became a new beginning.
This story from America’s founding reminds us that the struggle for independence is not measured only by immediate victories on the battlefield, but by the courage to survive, and to fight another day. Washington’s retreat was not surrender — it was resilience. It was the belief that freedom, once proclaimed, must be defended no matter the odds.
Today, Ukraine stands on its own Long Island. We face a powerful enemy trying to destroy our statehood. Yet, just as the American patriots 249 years ago, Ukrainians too know that survival is already a form of defiance — and perseverance is the seed of ultimate victory.
The lesson of Long Island is that even when the night is darkest, the cause of freedom can endure.
This moment from U.S. history inspires us still. Today, many say Ukraine cannot prevail against Russia. Yet just as Washington defied what seemed impossible, so too do Ukrainians show that no empire is invincible. Courage, determination, and the will to be free can turn the darkest hour into the dawn of triumph.
Happy Independence Day!
Slava Ukraini — and God bless America and Ukraine!