Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has used Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day to pay tribute to the country’s resilience during more than four years of full-scale war.
In an address marking the national holiday, Zelenskyy reflected on the 1,643 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion and acknowledged the immense difficulties Ukrainians continue to face. “Right now, things are really very difficult for all of us,” Zelenskyy said.
However, he argued that Ukraine’s ability to endure rests on the support and trust Ukrainians have shown one another throughout the war. “There is a force holding us firmly by the hand,” he said, describing it as “the strength of our mutual circle: support for one another, freedom from doubt about the person beside us, faith in all Ukrainians.” “As long as the enemy does not break this circle of ours, Ukraine will not fall, will achieve its peace, and will succeed,” he added.
Zelenskyy said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had miscalculated when planning the war.
“In all his plans for Ukraine, Putin got the most important thing wrong. The enemy counted our resources, our stockpiles, our equipment, but failed to take into account what was key. People.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
He described Ukrainians as the country’s greatest achievement of independence and praised those who have taken responsibility for defending the state. “People who do not want Russia here and who fight tooth and nail for peace and independence,” he said.
The Ukrainian President paid particular tribute to the country’s armed forces. “You defended our capital, liberated the Kyiv region, the Kharkiv region, and the Kherson region,” Zelenskyy said, adding, “You are not giving up our Donbas. You will not give up Ukraine.”
He called Ukraine’s military “the best army in Europe,” arguing that its strength came not only from military doctrines and standards but also from the determination of those serving on the front lines. Zelenskyy said Ukraine was already confronting Russia through “our will, technology, resilience, and dignity”, while retaining its humanity despite the war. “We fight as a country, we laugh and cry as a country, and we love as a country,” he said, adding, “And this makes us a hundred times stronger than Russia.”
The Ukrainian President also highlighted the rapid development of Ukraine’s defence industry, saying, “Our defense industry today is truly a giant, forging independence 24/7.” He pointed to the growing use of ground robotic systems, which he said were carrying out dangerous missions and had already saved thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. He also cited Ukraine’s naval drones and long-range strike capabilities, saying Ukrainian attacks had reached military and logistical targets deep inside Russia. “Russia must see more of this justice,” he said.
The president also rejected earlier predictions that Ukraine would collapse quickly under the Russian invasion. “They said we would hold out for only a matter of days,” Zelenskyy said. “But we have held out all this time – all this time of the war for independence,” he added.
At the same time, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine still faced serious challenges, particularly from Russia’s continued use of ballistic missiles.
“We see what Putin is doing and what he wants. A solution to his ballistic terror must be found, and this gamble of his must not pay off…Russia does not want peace. It wants mobilization. Well, we take this in with a cool head. We act. We have to strengthen our military, have everything needed to hold our defense, our warriors must be supplied and equipped with everything so that the replenishment of the enemy army can be turned into fertilizer for our soil.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The President then reflected on Ukraine’s modern history, recalling the declaration of independence on August 24, 1991. “Thirty-five years ago, Ukraine was reborn. It restored its independence,” he said. “It was not given to us nor was it lent to us – it was fought for,” he added.
He said that Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, had become a defining test for the country. “History tested our independence,” Zelenskyy said. He thanked the millions of Ukrainians who, he said, had answered that question through their actions in support of the country’s independence.
Zelenskyy Iterates Ukraine’s Call For Peace
Zelenskyy asserted Ukraine absolutely wants peace, “but it is not ready to simply surrender.”
Looking ahead, Zelenskyy said that Ukrainians were fighting for a future in which the country could live in peace while preserving its sovereignty.
“The day when there will be peace in Ukraine will also come. We all want to live through times that are not historic, but simply quiet, peaceful, safe times. In a peaceful Ukraine. A Ukraine that made it. That stood its ground. That preserved itself and its independence.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy concluded by urging Ukrainians to support one another, honour those who have died defending the country and continue protecting Ukraine’s independence and the state. “Happy Independence Day, Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!” he said.
