Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy surprises Johns Hopkins grads with 2023 commencement speech

BALTIMORE -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise address to Johns Hopkins University's class of 2023 at their commencement ceremony Thursday morning.

The president appeared in a live stream from Ukraine on a giant screen at the ceremony at Homewood Field in Baltimore. 

"To hear from President Zelenskyy at graduation will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Johns Hopkins students at a moment when the stakes are so high for the future of global democracy," JHU President Ron Daniels said in a statement. "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."  

Zelenskyy has risen to international prominence since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The comedic actor-turned-president continues to bolster international support as Moscow's brutal invasion continues. He was named Time Person of the Year for 2022. 

"As a fearless champion of his nation, President Zelenskyy has shown the world what true courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds looks like," President Daniels said. 

A parent present for her daughter's commencement tweeted that the speaker had been a "closely guarded secret." 

The university said Zelenskyy accepted the invitation by President Daniels to speak "on behalf of his nation and in defense of democratic values that allow peace, opportunity, and freedom to flourish around the globe."

In an address that lasted around 10 minutes, Zelenskyy focused on the importance of time, which he said is a more valuable resource than oil, uranium or lithium.

"Time is the most valuable resource on the planet," he said. "Some people realize this sooner, and these are the lucky ones. Others realize it too late when they lose someone or something."

In his signature casual look - an olive t-shirt for the speech - the Ukrainian president said the graduates need to figure out how they are going to use the time they have been given, but that they have a lifetime ahead of them. 

He alluded to Russia when he spoke of the future he envisioned for the graduates. 

"I'm certain you, as your forefathers did will continue to lead the free world and this century will be our century," he said. "A century where freedom, innovation and democratic values reign. A century where tyrannies that repress their own and seek to enslave their neighbors will vanish from earth once and for all." 

Zelenskyy also described a recent visit with Ukrainian troops on the front lines, saying many have dreams and aspirations similar to those of the American graduates. 

The difference is young Ukrainians are forced to endure the collective tragedy of war before chasing their dreams, he said.

Zelenskyy called Hopkins "one of the world's greatest universities," and he received a standing ovation at the end of his address. 

Daniels awarded Zelenskyy an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree after his speech.