Happy Ukrainian Independence Day!

34 Years of Independence and the Ongoing Fight for Freedom

Delivering remarks at the flag-raising ceremony in Chicago, Illinois

Today marks 34 years since Ukraine declared independence.

Like much of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, Ukraine experienced growing pains and challenges during the first years of statehood following the collapse of the USSR. As the country undertook a path of modernization, political reform, and alignment with Europe and liberal democracy, Russia was determined to pull Ukraine back into its sphere of influence and prevent any possibility for true independence and sovereignty. This first came in the form of political meddling. Russia’s attempts to prop-up its proxy candidate and steal Ukraine’s 2004 presidential election was the instigating factor behind the 2004 Orange Revolution. Nearly ten years later, Putin would again interfere in Ukrainian politics by pressuring then-president Yanukovych to suddenly cancel a long-awaited treaty with the European Union and instead pursue closer ties with Russia. The public outcry over this decision culminated into Euromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity which ultimately led to Yanukovych’s removal from power.

Having failed to subdue Ukraine through political means, Putin turned to brute force and military power. The annexation of Crimea and invasion of Eastern Ukraine in 2014 saw the return of war to Europe and Putin’s imperial ambitions were laid bare for the world to see. Years later, Putin would launch the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and set his ambitions directly on Kyiv. Thanks to the brave defenders of Ukraine, the opening weeks of the invasion fell short of Putin’s expectations and the Russians were forced to retreat from Kyiv. Since then, the Russian military has been forced to focus its attention on making meager territorial gains as Ukraine uses new, innovative systems to strike back.

As the Ukrainian military continues its fight for freedom against the Russian war machine, a second challenge has emerged. The Trump administration has pursued a strategy of “peace by any means”. This means pursuing a short-sighted policy of isolationism, arbitrarily halting the delivery of equipment for the Ukrainian military, and taking Putin’s empty promises of ceasefires and peace-talks at face value. These developments are not a viable path to a lasting peace in Ukraine and will only enable Russia’s military campaign.

Today marks Ukraine’s fourth Independence Day celebrated under wartime conditions. As we look to the future, it’s crucial that we remember that Russia’s invasion failed and every Independence Day celebrated since February 2022 is a victory in itself. Ukraine’s sovereignty is threatened, yet nevertheless secure because its brave warriors and resilient people fight on. Ukraine has earned an honored place amongst the history of democracies fighting tyranny.

Слава Україні!