“Some people realize this sooner, and these are the lucky ones,” he mentioned. “Others realize it too late, when they lose someone or something.”

As they give the impression of being again on their years in school, and forward to the remainder of their lifetimes, Zelensky requested the graduates, “Will you be able not to waste this time of your life?”

“How you answer that is how you live.”

Zelensky’s look as the college’s commencement speaker was a carefully held secret, and got here after the college’s president wrote him a letter. It was revealed to the group when large video screens at the ceremony displayed photographs of fields of sunflowers, golden domes gleaming in a metropolis skyline, and the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag flying within the daylight. Those photographs have been adopted by scenes of the destruction that adopted the Russian invasion in February 2022, with charred, crumbling buildings, a bombed-out bridge and an overturned tank.

The Ukrainian president’s handle comes because the country continues its fight towards the Russians, who invaded in February 2022. Tens of hundreds of Ukrainian troopers and civilians have been killed.

Zelensky mentioned he was just lately on the entrance traces, in some of the fiercely contested areas, with troopers preventing for freedom and independence. He informed the group the troopers’ time is outlined by many components they can not management, he mentioned, resembling the place the subsequent Russian missile or drone will hit.

“I’m proud that Ukraine is not losing a single day in its defense against Russian terror,” he mentioned. “Every day we do everything to become stronger, to give more protection to people and to save more lives.”

Zelensky additionally praised the United States for its help of Ukraine. The president, Congress, “and most of all the American people have, like the generation before that, risen to this occasion and are leading the free world to secure freedom in Europe,” he mentioned.

He informed the Johns Hopkins graduates he had little question they might all turn into nice docs, attorneys, engineers, leaders of latest applied sciences and companies. He additionally mentioned he was sure that some would really feel the decision to serve and “become members of Congress, Cabinet secretaries, and yes — yes, maybe president one day.

“Of course, after President Biden — of course,” he mentioned, smiling. “Please … we don’t need surprises.”

He informed the graduates that “this century will be our century, a century where freedom, innovation and democratic values reign,” and a century wherein tyrannies would vanish.

“But all of our tomorrows, and the tomorrows of our children and grandchildren depend on each of our todays,” he mentioned.

As he concluded, the viewers of about 10,000 folks rose in sustained applause. Zelensky smiled from the large video display screen, and softly mentioned, “Thank you.”

Johns Hopkins President Ronald J. Daniels introduced to the group that Zelensky was being awarded an honorary doctorate.

“Your vision, tenacity, and unwavering belief in the power of democracy and freedom have been a constant source of inspiration to the people of Ukraine,” and to of others around the globe who help his trigger and beliefs, Daniels mentioned.

Daniels later mentioned in a press release that listening to from Zelensky at commencement was a once-in-a-lifetime expertise for college students “at a moment when the stakes are so high for the future of global democracy. I am thrilled that one of our era’s great democratic leaders will reinforce for them the importance of holding fast to one’s principles and meeting with fortitude and humility the challenging moments of history that they will surely face in the years ahead.”

Earlier this week, Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, spoke to graduates at Boston College. “Freedom is not a given. Opportunities are not a given. Democracy is not a given,” Markarova, who appeared in particular person, informed the viewers on Monday. “We all have many battles to fight in, many obstacles to overcome, many challenges to see through. And where we’re all together, we’ll get strength to do it.”