Ukrainian President Zelenskyy celebrates Hanukkah; light will overcome darkness amid war with Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony in the nation's capital Kyiv alongside local rabbis.

Jewish-born Zelenskyy stated that both Christmas and Hanukkah symbolize holidays of hope and light against darkness. 

"We have a unique country – today, we celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. It's very good that in Ukraine we can all live together, all fight the darkness, as Shmuel Kaminetsky said," Zelenskyy told a delegation of rabbis. 

"In Ukraine, people have a nature that makes them inherently light. So I'm sure that, as you say and as Hanukkah says, the light will definitely overcome the darkness. I am sure of that," he continued. 

Shmuel Kaminetsky, chief rabbi of the city of Dnipro, described the ancient Jewish Hanukkah holiday in the context of the conflict between light and darkness in today's world.

“The battle between light and darkness continues," Kaminetsky assessed. "We see that thanks to you, the axis of evil is becoming much weaker, and we will soon defeat it. We will light these candles and hope that the Almighty will help us, and we will pray with everyone to see great miracles soon," he added, referring to the ongoing costly war with Russia which has lasted since February 2022. 

A recent Russian attack during the Christmas holiday left around half a million Ukrainians without electricity while the country is experiencing below-freezing winter temperatures. 

Zelenskyy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of deliberately attacking Ukrainian civilians during the Christmas holiday.

"Today, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack. What could be more inhuman? More than 70 missiles, including ballistic missiles, and more than a hundred attack drones," Zelenskyy stated.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the Russian attack and vowed that the United States would continue to back Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia. 

"The purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the Ukrainian people's access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid," Biden stated.

The Biden administration has committed approximately $175 billion in aid for Ukraine. However, it is currently unclear whether the structure and the amount of funding will change under President-elect Donald Trump, who has signaled that he wants a swift end to the war in Ukraine. 

Last year, Zelenskyy described the war in biblical terms, as a conflict between a Ukrainian David and a Russian Goliath. 

“We have no alternative but to defeat the Russian Goliath. Being David is fighting and we are fighting. Being David is having a sling to win,” Zelenskyy argued. 

“We do not have yet the David’s Sling from Israel, but I believe it is just temporary,” the Ukrainian leader added, referring to the advanced Israeli aerial defense system David’s Sling. 

While Israel has expressed support for Ukraine, it has largely refrained from delivering advanced arms to Ukraine due to concerns that it will lead to a further deterioration in relations with Russia. 

In November, a frustrated Zelenskyy claimed in an interview with Fox News that Israel "has been afraid of Putin."

Meanwhile, Russia and Iran have formed a close military alliance in which Tehran provides Moscow with a large number of drones. In return, Russia has provided Iran with aerial defense systems and other advanced military equipment.