Transcript: Mayor Adams Delivers Remarks at Flag-Raising Ceremony for Ukraine

February 24, 2024

Video available at: https://youtu.be/Upx7PAkiMHw

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you so much, commissioner. Really proud to have you as the first Ukrainian commissioner, here, in the City of New York. New York City is the Kyiv of America. We have the largest Ukrainian population here in New York; and not only do you bring your business, do you bring your energy, do you bring your spirit, you also bring the most important aspect of what we have in this city, and that's our public safety. And we're proud to have the men and women of the New York City Police Department, who are of Ukrainian descent, that's standing with us here today.

Two years, two years of destruction, two years of terrorizing your country, two years of pain and sorrow and uncertainty, two years of destabilization, two years of watching yourself be removed from your loved ones and families, two years of not knowing when this war is going to end.

But you, like New York City, as we had to acknowledge over 20 years what we saw right here, our country ripped apart from terrorism action, we saw our resiliency. That is what the Ukrainian people represent: you represent resiliency. You represent the spirit. Never surrender. They thought they would walk in and destroy your spirit; you showed them you may bend, but you will never break. You will never surrender until you have your homeland back. Keep fighting on. Keep being strong.

You are representing democracy across America. And since the 17th century, when you first arrived here, until now, watching the Lower East Side become little Ukraine, we know what you represent. We are proud to have you here in the city.

My colleagues that are here joining me, this is our way of saying we are united. And to the soldiers who have fought and the soldiers who have lost parts of their lives to this war, we want to tell them that we get strength from you.

And so, raising the flag today is raising our spirit, is raising our unity, is raising our solidarity with the Ukrainian people. And we're hoping that they hear our voices and our energy all the way from the battlefields of Ukraine to here, in little Ukraine.

We stand united. Long live the Ukrainian people. Keep fighting on, and we will never surrender. Thank you very much.

And I know I have my ambassadors and my counsel general, if you would come up. I want to give you this proclamation.  

Whereas from Brooklyn's Little Odessa to Manhattan's Little Ukraine, Ukrainian people throughout the five boroughs have long enhanced life in our diverse city. And they will continue to play a key role as we take bold steps to grow our economy, forge a safer, fairer, more prosperous future for all. I look forward to the many ways our vital Ukrainian community will continue to invigorate our global metropolis.

Eric Adams, Mayor of the City of New York, I want to give you this on behalf of the people of what we call the Kiev of America, New York City.

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