President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated all fellow citizens on Christmas and spoke about a people's prayer that unites millions of voices.

"Dear people!

Millions of Ukrainians are waiting tonight for the appearance of the first star in the evening sky, heralding the arrival of Christmas. A holiday with many shades. A great church holiday. An important folk holiday. A family holiday. A Christmas that is always loved by children and awaited by adults. A Christmas that fills hearts with light. A Christmas that always brings hope.

For the second year in a row, we have learned another of its forms, another of its dimensions. This is Christmas during full-scale war times. A Christmas with a different mood, context, and flavor.

And not such as it always was, is the family home evening meal. For not all of us are at home. And not everyone has a house. And what matters now is not what food is on the table but who is sitting around it. And how precious it is when they are together.

And how important it is for those who are not here and defending Ukraine to be in touch. How joyful it is to see a "birdie" on the screen, meaning that the message has been delivered and read. How important it is to receive an answer from them.

How our gifts, values, traditions have changed. How today it matters not so much how we decorate our settlements but how we protect our homes and clean them of trash — sweeping the enemy out of our home. How joyful it is when we spot the first star in the evening sky and do not see enemy rockets and "drones" there.

How joyfully and clearly ring hundreds of our carols, and just three words: "air raid alert over."

How our wishes have changed. How children's wishes have changed. From simple and ordinary "I wish dad would come home from work earlier" to "I wish dad would return."

May all fathers, husbands, brothers, grandfathers return. Mothers, wives, sisters. Return as victors. All those who are celebrating the Holy Night today in trenches with weapons in hand, meeting the enemy. All our warriors of light. Angels — defenders of Ukraine, who show us every day that good will triumph, light will triumph, we must have a steadfast spirit and faith. Those who prove: miracles exist. But we have to create them ourselves, achieve them by our own efforts, make the impossible possible.

Every day we pray for each of them. We pray for the end of war. We pray for victory.

We will do this today too. Wherever we are. However we celebrate Christmas. Today all Ukrainians — together. We all meet Christmas together. On one date, as one big family, as one nation, as one single country. And today our common prayer is stronger than ever before. A people's prayer. Today it unites millions of voices — more than ever before. And tonight the moon will shine without a two-week time difference. It will shine together with Europe and the world.

And this is an unique prayer. For people, for peace, for justice, a prayer for life. And today it will sound in different corners of the planet, coming from hearts of different people, in different languages. Even from different confessions. Because this is — a prayer for life, and it has no borders.

In difficult times when we defend our land and soul, overcoming the path to freedom. The path to achieving comprehensive independence, including spiritual independence. Freedom of our faith from slavery ideology. From a culture that has nothing human and nothing holy about it. That brings violence, aggression, hatred. And takes away security and peace, other people's lands and lives. But it will be defeated. By the power of faith, by the power of truth, by the power of law, by the power of justice, our power of Ukraine.

Now I am in Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Majestic. Symbolic. Ours. A thousand-year-old symbol of Ukrainian history, culture, religion, Orthodoxy, all Eastern Christianity. Proof of the strength of our unbreakability, resilience, and ability to overcome difficult trials. Reborn and growing.

Throughout its history, this place has endured many upheavals and blows. Destruction, desecration, looting. The Horde, Nazis, Soviet times. This place was captured, burned, destroyed. But no one could ever finally destroy it. The Lavra always survived to be reborn again. And after every blow not only recovered but grew larger and stronger. Because it has been and remains a source of strength for people. A wellspring of hope and spirit for our people. For everyone who believes. In the triumph of truth. Ukraine's victory.

The time before Christmas — the longest nights of the year. But tomorrow day will start to grow, light will begin to prevail. Light will become stronger. And step by step, day by day darkness loses.

And in the end darkness loses. Evil loses. Today — this is our common goal, our shared dream, and for that today — our common prayer. For our freedom. For our victory. For our Ukraine. For the day when we can all gather at home during a peaceful Christmas year. And say to each other: "Christ is born!"

Dear Ukrainians! I congratulate you all on Christmas!

May light of faith reign in your souls, hearts be filled with hope's light, and homes — love and abundance.

As our ancestors once said and sang: "Let the sky and earth give birth. The sky with stars, the earth with flowers. God grant!" And as we say today: "May Ukraine give birth to victory and peace. God grant!"

With the holiday, dear Ukrainian people!

Christ is born! Let us glorify him!