In a live broadcast on Radio UA Chicago, well-known journalist, blogger, and writer Ostap Drozdov shared his perspective on Ukraine’s Defenders' Day, celebrated under a new calendar, and the symbolism of this date in Ukrainian society. He remarked that, while the day is marked as a professional holiday in the West, in Ukraine it is a unique phenomenon borne of extreme circumstances and superhuman stories of its defenders.
Drozdov emphasized that Ukrainian defenders often display extraordinary courage without prior military training, considering a flourishing, free Ukraine the best reward for them, not medals or honors they often do not seek.
Discussing the ongoing war, Drozdov agreed with Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski that the conflict mirrors World War I in its protracted and exhausting nature, likely to end only when one side's resources are depleted. He stressed the value of external perspectives and examined historical parallels, suggesting a political solution is more probable than a military one—just as in World War I.
The conversation highlighted that the subject of ending the war is mostly absent from public discourse, with Ukraine now in a phase of irresolvable war—a global issue marked by numerous external players and complex interests.
The situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, disconnected from the energy grid, was also discussed. Drozdov noted that the plant became a significant nuclear trump card for Russia from the very beginning of the conflict, and control over it remains a persistent risk factor for Europe.
The interview concludes with a wish to build an open, democratic society—leaving heroism to history books, so that future generations need not repeat such experiences.
