Ammon News - For all Ukrainians, January 22 is both a glorious and tragic date. On this day, Ukraine appeared on the political map of the world as an independent entity following the proclamation of the Ukrainian People’s Republic in 1918. Exactly one year later, the eternal dream of Ukrainians came true — the dream for which the best sons of Ukraine lived and died. The scattered and separated parts of Ukraine were united into a single state. On January 22, 1919, the Act of Unification of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the West Ukrainian People’s Republic was signed.

This event is fundamental to the formation of the Ukrainian state. It completely debunks Russian propaganda, which falsely claims that Stalin united Ukrainian territories for the first time in 1939. January is also marked by the heroic Battle of Kruty in 1918, when Ukrainian patriots managed to stop a numerically superior and better-armed enemy — Soviet Russia — and defend their independence.

Tragic historical experiences have convincingly demonstrated the futility of any attempts to divide the Ukrainian people and pit them against each other. The idea of unity has helped Ukrainians survive wars, endure repression and genocide, and persist in their struggle.

Today, that struggle continues. Ukrainians shed blood and sacrifice their lives to protect their independence and territorial integrity from Russian invaders. They hold firmly to the ideals of freedom, resisting an aggressor that seeks to erase Ukraine from the world map and reduce its people to museum exhibits as extint species or mere footnotes in history books.

Unity is not just about territories — it is the spiritual connection between all Ukrainians, regardless of their ethnic origin, religion, political views, or location. It is the shared commitment among all Ukrainians to preserving Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence. It is the bond that unites sons and daugthers of Ukraine across distances, borders, and obstacles, making their hearts beat in unison for the fate of their motherland.

Unity is also reflected in the generosity of Ukrainians who open their homes and provide shelter to displaced compatriots from war-torn regions. It is the connection between those fighting on the battlefield and those who support them through work, humanitarian aid, and advocacy. It is Ukrainian mothers and children who have lost their homes and now seek refuge abroad. It is the millions in the Ukrainian diaspora who, despite residing outside of Ukraine, have not forgotten their roots and actively contribute to the resistance — collecting and delivering essential supplies, lobbying foreign governments, and ensuring the world does not forget about Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

Unity is also embodied by Ukrainians who abandoned well-paid jobs and studies at prestigious, world-renowned universities to answer the call of duty, returning from distant corners of the world to defend their homeland against the brutal Russian aggressor.

This unity extends to Ukrainians living under temporary Russian occupation. The Ukrainian state has not forgotten them. Ukrainian diplomats, lawyers, and activists, in collaboration with international partners, fight for their rights as they endure hardship, abuse, and numerous war crimes — including murder, rape, kidnapping, torture, and forced starvation.

It also encompasses the Ukrainian children suffering under Russian occupation. The Kremlin regime continues its criminal policy of forcibly transferring and deporting Ukrainian children, actively obstructing their repatriation and reunification with their families. Since February 24, 2022, more than 19,546 children have been forcibly taken to Russia, as confirmed by Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General. After their deportation, Russian authorities commit further illegal acts — changing their citizenship, placing them in Russian families, and preventing them from leaving Russia. At least 380 Ukrainian children have been placed under so-called “temporary guardianship” (illegally adopted) in Russia. Russian officials play an active role in this genocidal campaign, severing the children’s ties to Ukraine and erasing their memories of their homeland.

In occupied territories, Ukrainian children face severe educational restrictions. They are banned from accessing Ukrainian educational resources, subjected to propaganda, and denied Ukrainian literature. Instead, they are forcibly militarized and indoctrinated, with the goal of erasing their cultural and ethnic identity and preparing them to fight against their own country.

The unity of Ukrainians has already yielded significant results. After 1,063 days of full-scale invasion, the Kremlin has failed to conquer Ukraine or achieve strategic success on the battlefield.

For Ukrainians, unity is existential. They understand that only in being united and by standing together can they remain strong, endure all the challenges, and secure their future.