Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko promised economic growth for Ukrainians in 2019 during his New Year’s address to the nation on Dec. 31, while touting his own achievements as the presidential campaign in Ukraine officially got underway.
“The hardest thing has already passed, and the worst is also behind. The gradual growth of the economy and the restoration of living standards are ahead,” Poroshenko said in the address, which was broadcast at midnight on Dec. 31, 2018.
Poroshenko also called on Ukrainians to be united in the run-up to the presidential and parliamentary elections, which will be held in March and October 2019, respectively.
“The main thing is not to trample on the shoots of development, gained at the cost of great sacrifice and enormous effort of each of you, in the electoral race,” Poroshenko said.
He noted that 2019 is the 100th anniversary of the Zluky Act, a symbolic unifying treaty signed by the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic, which had been divided between the Russian empire and Poland.
Poroshenko said he also sees the past year of 2018 as a special one in Ukrainian history, as it saw the creation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, a national church independent of the Moscow clergy.
Poroshenko dedicated more than a third of his speech to this accomplishment and to the upcoming granting of a Tomos, or deed of independence, to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Ecumenical Patriarchate on Jan. 6.
“We have come further away from Moscow and closer to Europe. This is a clear strategy that has been steadfastly followed over the past five years. We’re going our own way,” Poroshenko said.
The second largest section of the speech was dedicated to those Ukrainians most in danger: Ukrainian soldiers, political prisoners in Russian prisons and citizens in the occupied territories. Poroshenko again vowed that these territories will be returned to government control peacefully.
“Our family will surely reunite at … the New Year table,” Poroshenko said.
