Defender of the Fatherland Day
In Ukraine, Defender of the Fatherland Day (/ ) was never celebrated as a state holiday. In 1999 President Leonid Kuchma recognized 23 February as Defenders of the Fatherland Day without, however, granting it any official status. President Petro Poroshenko made a statement on 24 August 2014, according to which, Ukraine "should not celebrate the holidays of the military-historical calendar of Russia, but will honor the defenders of our homeland, not someone else's". On 14 October 2014, a decree by Poroshenko instated the Defender of Ukraine Day, with its official holiday status.