Ukraine’s Defense Chief Pledges to Retake Crimea

The stream of patriotic rhetoric initiated by President Poroshenko is finally spreading throughout the highest levels of government in Ukraine.

Newly appointed Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Valeriy Heletey, 46, pledged today in the halls of parliament that the Ukrainian army would retake Crimea, restoring the Ukraine’s indivisibility and territorial integrity.

“There will be a victory parade… in Ukraine’s Sevastopol,” Heletey was quoted as saying by Reuters.

His remarks about Sevastopol were greeted by applause by the lawmakers.

The minister’s words dovetailed perfectly with Poroshenko’s own observation: “We will not allow the Ukrainian army to be dishonored and defamed.”

Leadership, vision, inspiration and patriotism have been absent for years from the hallowed halls of Ukraine’s government. With the Ukrainian nation embroiled in a bloody war for its independence and survival with Russia, the Ukrainian nation deserves to feel and hear such confidence-building speeches from its civilian and military leaders.