Dad is about protection, responsibility, and love. It is about a reliable shoulder. It is the person who is the first to come to the rescue and the last to retreat in the face of danger
Today, these words have special meaning, as thousands of Ukrainian fathers are not only raising their children but also defending the future of the entire country. On Father’s Day, we thank all dads for their strength, courage, care, and faith in Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said very accurately today: “Dad is about protection and safety. And today this has taken on an even deeper meaning, because Ukrainian fathers are protecting not only their own children but the very possibility of a safe future.”
Indeed, during the great war, these words sound particularly significant.
Thousands of Ukrainian fathers are currently spending this holiday away from home. They are holding the line on the front, working in the skies and at sea, saving lives, extinguishing fires after shelling, treating the wounded, and restoring what has been destroyed. They do everything possible every day to ensure their children and millions of Ukrainian children have a future in a free and independent country.
Being a dad in Ukraine today is about a special kind of courage and a special kind of love. It is the ability to take responsibility even when one is afraid. It is the ability to be an example for one’s children not through words, but through one’s own actions.
We thank all Ukrainian dads for their strength, care, and resilience. To those who defend Ukraine with weapons in their hands. To those who work for the sake of their families. To those who raise, teach, support, and inspire.
And a special honor and gratitude go to our fathers who are defenders! To those who raise. To those who defend. To those who hold the front so that Ukrainian children can grow up under peaceful skies and do not allow the enemy to take our tomorrow.
May every Ukrainian family have that which we fight for every day—a peaceful, safe, and happy future.
Happy Father’s Day, Ukraine!
Author: Ivan Arefiev
Collage: Andriy Atlantov
