Strength is in the absence of fear: Volodymyr Zelenskyy quotes Mahatma Gandhi to describe Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy quoted Mahatma Gandhi to describe the country under war and said, “Strength is in the absence of fear, not in the number of muscles in our body. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” The president was speaking at the ceremony of the presentation of credentials by Harsh Kumar Jain, India’s ambassador to Ukraine on Thursday.

The presentation of credentials is a ceremony where a newly appointed foreign ambassador presents their credentials to the head of the state asking them to accept the ambassador’s claim of speaking for their country.

At the presentation of credentials by Indian envoy on June 2, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy quoted the words of Mahatma Gandhi which he said aptly describe Ukraine and Ukrainians: “Strength is in the absence of fear, not in the number of muscles in our body. First they…1/2

— India in Ukraine (@IndiainUkraine) June 3, 2022

Zelenskyy also received credentials from the US ambassador and the ambassador of Moldova.

The president congratulated the foreign ambassadors and said that the easiest way to help the country which has been resisting the Russian invasion for over 100 days is to be present.

“I thank all the ambassadors who stayed in Ukraine for as long as possible. Those who returned to Ukraine as soon as possible. I will be glad as much as possible to welcome all those who will soon return to our heart, to Kyiv,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Harsh Kumar Jain was appointed as the new ambassador of India to Ukraine on November 2021 and arrived at Warsaw on April 5 to take up his position.