24 August 2025
Dear friends!
The Independence Day of Ukraine — a holiday once filled with real sense and meaning — is formally celebrated today. But since 2014, there are no reasons to speak of an actual independence of Ukraine: we have lost both independence and sovereignty and the principles upon which the statehood of Ukraine was born in 1991.
Then, three and a half decades ago, the future Ukraine was seen as a neutral state, with a guarantee of rights for all the peoples living therein, and of equal rights for all the citizens. When proclaiming independence, the founding fathers saw Ukraine as a country embodying the principles of equality and justice, of good neighbourhood concerning all the states around the border, with the integration into global and regional economic processes, which would be determined not by a political climate or slogans but by the principles of pragmatism and reasonability.
What have we received as a result? The angry and dead-end idea of 'anti-Russia' instead of a national idea. The persecution of citizens for their religious and political convictions, thousands of political prisoners, a de facto cancelled Constitution. Sold subsurface resources, a country turned into a testing site for British military circles, external governance, total dependence upon Western donors. A complete absence of independence in foreign affairs. A complete arbitrariness and absence of freedoms in the domestic policy.
Only a shell has remained from real independence, a wrapper, offered to celebrate today. But, unfortunately, there is no actual meaning of the holiday.
I sincerely wish all of us to come to our senses and regain what we have lost — the genuine independence of Ukraine. With the senses which formed the basis of our statehood in 1990–1991. With real sovereignty. With real freedom and rule of people.
May the cruel experiments over and harassment of the people which were implemented successively by Turchynov, Poroshenko, and Zelenskyi remain in the past, and may Ukraine again become a country of good, open, hard-working people, with faith in God and love for people. May war, grief, and bad times become a thing of the past.
I believe that the true holiday will again return to Ukraine, and the Independence Day will again acquire its original meaning.
All related news The Independence Day of Ukraine — a holiday once filled with real sense and meaning — is formally celebrated today. But since 2014, there are no reasons to speak of an actual independence of Ukraine: we have lost both independence and sovereignty and the principles upon which the statehood of Ukraine was born in 1991.
Then, three and a half decades ago, the future Ukraine was seen as a neutral state, with a guarantee of rights for all the peoples living therein, and of equal rights for all the citizens. When proclaiming independence, the founding fathers saw Ukraine as a country embodying the principles of equality and justice, of good neighbourhood concerning all the states around the border, with the integration into global and regional economic processes, which would be determined not by a political climate or slogans but by the principles of pragmatism and reasonability.
What have we received as a result? The angry and dead-end idea of 'anti-Russia' instead of a national idea. The persecution of citizens for their religious and political convictions, thousands of political prisoners, a de facto cancelled Constitution. Sold subsurface resources, a country turned into a testing site for British military circles, external governance, total dependence upon Western donors. A complete absence of independence in foreign affairs. A complete arbitrariness and absence of freedoms in the domestic policy.
Only a shell has remained from real independence, a wrapper, offered to celebrate today. But, unfortunately, there is no actual meaning of the holiday.
I sincerely wish all of us to come to our senses and regain what we have lost — the genuine independence of Ukraine. With the senses which formed the basis of our statehood in 1990–1991. With real sovereignty. With real freedom and rule of people.
May the cruel experiments over and harassment of the people which were implemented successively by Turchynov, Poroshenko, and Zelenskyi remain in the past, and may Ukraine again become a country of good, open, hard-working people, with faith in God and love for people. May war, grief, and bad times become a thing of the past.
I believe that the true holiday will again return to Ukraine, and the Independence Day will again acquire its original meaning.
