Zelenskyy Makes Surprise Appearance at Johns Hopkins Graduation to Thunderous Ovation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise live stream appearance at the Johns Hopkins University commencement Thursday morning.

Zelenskyy congratulated graduates and called Johns Hopkins “one of the world’s greatest universities."

He said his most important piece of advice for graduates is, “You have to know exactly why you need today and how you want your tomorrows to look like.”

In turning to the war in his country, he said, “The United States has also not lost a single day in helping Ukraine repel the Russian aggression”

The president appeared in a live stream from Ukraine on a large screen.

After his remarks, which lasted about 10 minutes, he received a lengthy standing ovation.

Johns Hopkins, which is in Maryland, said in a tweet: “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.”

He said his address would be brief because time is one of the planet’s most valuable resources.

After his speech, the school conferred on him an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.