Ukrainians are defending their land - and the right of every nation to choose its own destiny.
From Hennadii Nadolenko
On Feb 24, we mark a heavy milestone: four years since the world watched Russian tanks cross our borders.
But for Ukrainians, the clock didn’t start in 2022. Our wounds go back to 2014, and deeper still – through a century of imperial rule and decades under a system that tried to erase our right to choose who we are.
Ukraine lived through that shadow. Malaysia chose a different path.
Our histories aren’t the same, but they rhyme. Malaysia protected its sovereignty by carving out its own identity – stable, independent, and forward-looking. Ukraine had to fight to reclaim its statehood from the ashes of the Soviet Union.
Our struggle wasn’t just about maps or politics; it was about the simple, human need to breathe as a free people again.
When I walk through Kuala Lumpur, I see a nation that has turned its beautiful diversity into its greatest strength. I see parents planning for their children’s graduations, and entrepreneurs dreaming years into the future. It is a society built on the luxury of thriving.
In Ukraine right now, our focus is narrower: survival. Our children have learned to tell the difference between the wind and an air-raid siren. Our winters, hitting -20°C, have been turned into weapons as our power grids are targeted. Yet, beneath these different skies, we are more alike than we are different.
Whether you are in Bukit Bintang or downtown Kyiv, the heart wants the same thing: safety for our children, dignity for our families, and the freedom to build a life without looking over our shoulder.
No parent, whether in Southeast Asia or Eastern Europe, dreams of handing their child a rifle. We all want peace – not as a political slogan, but as the quiet foundation of a normal life.
When the world was told Kyiv would fall in three days, the aggressors made a classic mistake. They counted our tanks, but they didn’t count our memory. They underestimated the resolve of a people who have already survived the suffocating weight of empire and refused to go back into the dark.
Ukraine’s struggle isn’t just a “European problem”. It is a defence of the very rules that allowed Southeast Asia to transform from a Cold War flashpoint into a global hub of trade and growth. Sovereignty, borders, and the rule of law – these aren’t just words for diplomats.
They are the invisible walls that protect every country, large or small, from the idea that “might makes right”.
Malaysia’s principled stand on the global stage is felt deeply in Kyiv. When Malaysia speaks up for international law, it isn’t just about Ukraine; it’s about ensuring that no nation wakes up to find its borders redrawn by force. Peace is more than just the absence of gunfire. It is the presence of justice and mutual respect.
Four years later, Ukraine still stands. Our lights are on, our schools are open, and our spirit is intact. We are defending our land, yes, but we are also defending the right of every nation to choose its own destiny.
In standing firm, we hope to protect our future – and in doing so, help preserve the peace that friends like Malaysia have worked so hard to build. - FMT
Hennadii Nadolenko is Ukraine’s ambassador to Malaysia.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
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