Mr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, recently stated publicly, after a meeting with chancellor Scholz of Germany, that perhaps Ukraine’s desire to one day become part of NATO was only a dream.
Dear sir, now, more than ever, Ukraine needs to embrace her dream.
When Russians are growling at your borders, baring their teeth and threatening to devour you with their superior forces, Ukraine needs to embrace her dream.
When many in the world have rushed supplies to you so you can fight the good fight, Ukraine needs to embrace her dream.
We don’t know how this will end, but there have already been thousands of courageous Ukrainians who have given their lives in combat because they believed in their country’s dream.
This is not the time to hesitate.
While your country remains divided, a majority have spoken up and said they want to chart their own course in history. They have stepped up and said they do not want to live under the feet of a bully neighbor.
I read that many of your citizens have chosen to no longer speak in Russian and so affirm the Ukrainian language.
Ukrainians and Russians have shared a past but Ukrainians reject being chained and oppressed by them and wish to embrace the future as a separate nation.
To forge ahead on this uncertain path, the nation needs to dream.
You should not, as their leader, in a moment of great consequence, succumb to doubt.
Russia is forcing a course upon you. They are not asking but compelling you to obey them. They say that they feel threatened. But the West nor you have threatened Russia. It is an invention of theirs to grab more territory. An invention of a leader who wants more and more land under his authority.
In the face of overpowering forces, it is the dream your people harbor that will sustain the hope to fight on. It is the dream that will fuel the resistance against the intruders.
Mr Zelensky, time is running out. It may be that you are now living the last days of your presidency.
Let your people know, on any occasion you have, that you stand with the dream of a free Ukraine. That you will fight for it, and never bow to anyone who wishes to decide for you what your future should be.
Sir, you owe it to yourself, to your nation and to your children.
Long live a free Ukraine.
Oscar Valdes. Oscarvaldes.net. anchor.fm, buzzsprout, apple and google podcasts.
