Ukraine celebrates Independence Day
Ukraine celebrated the 34th anniversary of its declaration of independence from the former Soviet Union on Sunday - in the midst of a war in which Moscow is trying to regain control of the country. Commentators highlight key moments for a country that is having to fight for its sovereignty like no other in Europe today.
Passing the stress test with flying colours
The war is testing the Ukrainian nation to the limit, journalist and soldier Pavlo Kazarin comments in Ukrainska Pravda:
“Each of our Independence Days is now also a reminder of the invasion. Six months separate 24 August from 24 February. And today marks exactly three and a half years since the start of the full-scale invasion. War is inevitably a stress test for a country. It tests the state's resilience. It tests the efficiency of its institutions. And it tests the ability of its citizens to show solidarity. Our allies in the West, like our enemies in the East, were convinced we would fail all three tests. They were wrong.”
Courageuos escape from downfall
Corriere della Sera sees the country's separation from Russia as a long maturing process:
“Zelensky's speech on the Maidan was proud and courageous. ... Almost 34 years earlier, on 1 December 1991, a referendum was held in which the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians voted for separation from the old, dying Russia, which imploded with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. ... Ukrainians had paid dearly for that downfall five years earlier with the disgrace of the Chernobyl disaster, when the communist nomenklatura had tried to cover up the full extent of the catastrophe. ... So no giving in, no fear, despite blackmail with bombs and the ongoing threat of war.”
Guarantees without substance
Ukraine's territorial integrity was guaranteed in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Jurnalul National reminds readers:
“It was a promise of solidarity and protection which evaporated when it came to defending Ukraine's sovereignty. Ukraine was left alone to face the attack, and all assurances of protection proved to be nothing but empty words. Unfortunately, this has taught us that international promises without a position of power and the will to implement them are just pretty phrases. For Romania, this experience should be a painful lesson about the importance of having responsible leaders who do not rely solely on promises or alliances, but on their own defence capabilities and a firm foreign policy.”
Build on the country's strength
Helsingin Sanomat calls for more arms for Ukraine:
“Russia can't be trusted, but the bigger problem is that Western countries can't trust each other or themselves. In the age of Tiktok democracy, the policies of Western countries have become so unpredictable that the United States and the major European countries are only ever one election away from a political U-turn or chaos. From the Kremlin's point of view, democracy will weaken the West in the long term. So far, only the Ukrainians have shown any real will to fight for Ukraine. Ukraine should therefore be turned into a steel porcupine and armed to the teeth. The sooner, the better.”