Tomorrow, February 16, 2022, is claimed by the United States as a possible
day when Russia "invades" Ukraine. So what will Ukraine do in the face of
this threat? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared February 16
as a day of national unity.
In a decree signed on Monday (14/2/2022), he ordered the playing of the
national anthem and the raising of flags and flags across the country.
“It is said that February 16 will be the day of the attack. We will make it
a day of unity," Zelensky said Monday evening in a speech to all Ukrainians.
"On this day, we will fly our national flag, wear a blue-yellow ribbon, and
show our unity to the whole world," he said.
Zelensky's comments about the date of the "invasion" were cited by several
US outlets, sparking a sell-off in US stock markets and a rush for gold and
crude oil.
That prompted the president's office to clarify that he had said it "with
irony."
At the time of the speech, Zelensky had signed presidential decree 53/2022
which stated, “Urgent measures to consolidate Ukrainian society and
strengthen its resilience in the face of the growing hybrid threat.”
In the decree, he declared February 16, 2022 as the Day of Ukrainian Unity,
ordering all homes and buildings to raise the Ukrainian flag and sing the
national anthem at 10 a.m.
He appealed to residents to wear ribbons with the colors of the flag as
well. Zelensky vowed Kiev would “return” Crimea and Donbass to Ukraine
eventually, but exclusively through diplomacy and negotiations.
Crimea voted to return to Russia in 2014, following a US-backed coup in Kiev
that toppled Ukraine's elected government.
The Donetsk and Lugansk regions in the east of the country also declared
independence and defeated Ukrainian attempts to retake them by force.
In addition to the symbolic display of national unity, Zelensky's decree
also announced the establishment of a state information platform, UArazom
"Joint Ukraine", which aims, "Ensure the public is informed every day about
the true state of the security situation, the steps taken to strengthen the
country's defense capabilities, as well as proper outreach work organization
on public safety.”
The president also said Monday that members of the military would get a 30
percent pay increase in March, with a 20 percent increase for border
services and the National Guard.
