"We seek to live peacefully on our land, while they crave excitement and action," Zelensky wished Ukrainians a Merry Christmas.

Today, Ukrainians are fighting for the main symbol of Christmas – for hope and the victory of life. All we need is to live peacefully on our land and see our sky, where we should find the Christmas star instead of Iranian "Shaheds" and Russian missiles, stated President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky while greeting Ukrainians on Christmas.

"The great Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych lived and worked for several years in a city now known as Pokrovsk. He taught music to children here, created a choir, and it was there that he wrote the second edition of 'Shchedryk,' which resonates in every corner of the Earth during these days. Thus, a Ukrainian gifted the world with the musical spirit of Christmas. May every person in the world who hears it remember Ukraine. This is how we fight today for the main symbol of this holiday – for hope and the victory of life," Zelensky said in his greeting.

"On our land, in every city, in every town, especially in Pokrovsk, the Divine music created there, along with the evil brought by Russia, vividly illustrates the difference between us and them," the president noted.

He emphasized that Ukrainians strive to create, while "for some, the meaning of life is to sow death."

"We want peace, justice, and we want tranquility. But for them, as some say, 'life is boring and lacks excitement,'" Zelensky remarked.

"These words are proof of how distant they are from God, from Christianity, from true faith. And this is evidence of why their enslavement and darkness are destined to fail. We know this. The world knows this. And God knows this," the head of state stated.

"Evil loses. Ukrainians believe in this and pray for it. That all the misfortune and all that filth may vanish from our land forever. And Ukrainians undoubtedly deserve this," Zelensky emphasized, also remembering those Ukrainians who are in captivity, those under occupation, and those who have been forced to leave Ukraine.

He added that this year Ukrainians are celebrating Christmas for the second time on the new date, "for the second time in our new history, Christmas unites all Ukrainians."

Background. It is worth reminding that on the eve of Christmas, "Darnytsia" received the Bethlehem flame of peace – the Bethlehem flame arrived in Ukraine on December 15 directly from Linz.