Cape Town – On Wednesday Ukraine marked its Independence Day from Soviet rule in 1991, a day which coincides with the start of the Russia-Ukraine crisis six months ago.
It was 31 years ago when Ukraine adopted the Act of the Declaration of Independence which affirmed the nations right to its own citizenship and foreign policy.
In an address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a video address that the country was “reborn” when Russia launched it’s “special military operation” on February 24 and vowed Ukrainians it would never give up its fight for freedom.
“We don’t care what army you have, we only care about our land.
“We will fight for it until the end,” said Zelensky.
“Every new day is a reason not to give up. After such a long journey we do not have the right not to go on to the end,” he said.
According to Al Jazeera journalist Teresa Bo who has spent some time in Kyiv, she said celebrations were muted and that Ukrainians “still believe the country is fighting for independence 31 years later”.
Meanwhile, to add to the celebrations, US President Joe Biden marked Ukraine's Independence Day with a $3 billion assistance package in military aid in what has been the single largest show of support for Ukraine since the start of the crisis.
“The United States of America is committed to supporting the people of Ukraine as they continue the fight to defend their sovereignty,” Biden said in a statement.
Furthermore, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted his concerns in his address to the Security Council on Wednesday, while at the same time praised the progress of the Black Sea Grain Initiative signed in Istanbul which ensured export of grain to the rest of the world.
“There has been dozens of ships sailing in and out of Ukrainian ports, loaded so far with over 720,000 metric tonnes of grains and other food products,” said Guterres.
“This deal would not have been possible without the constructive approach of both Ukraine and Russia and the efforts of the government of Turkiye,” he said.
Guterres closed his speech by congratulating the Ukrainian people on their 31st anniversary of independence and called for peace in line with the UN Charter.
IOL