Today I thank every person serving in Ukraine’s defense forces and everyone serving Ukraine’s defense without officially enlisting: pirates and instructors, volunteer masters of fundraising, procurement and delivery, spouses and lovers providing support. I thank every veteran who has served. I admire the people who continue to talk about their experiences as prisoners of war, as survivors of war crimes or occupation, to remind the world about our people still in russian captivity and under russian occupation, to remind the world what russia is and what it has done and what it is still doing.
My heart holds space for the men and women who gave their lives completely to defending our land, people, and political future. Tolik, Eva, Maksym, Victoria, Yurchyk, Roma, Marharyta, Davyd, and so many other individuals whose actions inspired and each loss makes a hole in the delicate fabric of world and culture and everyday life.
I could not be more honored than to share my homeland with people committed to defending and cultivating the vital and physical connection to one’s land and people, that’s where it becomes *ours*. I could not be more fortunate than to be here, at the heart of history. Ukraine will survive and be known for its own spirit and glory and stubborn commitment to writing its own story.
Photo from the Kharkiv region, June 2026.
