Ukraine celebrates 35 years of independence
Ukraine marks its 35th Independence Day today, Monday. Three days after the failure of the August coup in Moscow in 1991, the parliament of what was then a Soviet republic adopted a declaration of independence. But the path to sovereignty and a democratic system was and is a rocky one - and not just because of Russia's war of aggression, the media conclude.
Reforms only came after major upheaval
Although it's taken some time, Ukraine has achieved impressive things in the 35 years of its independence, Ukrainska Pravda puts in:
“The state emerged from the grip of an authoritarian regime that had nearly suffocated it, and, having barely recovered from its illness, learned to walk again. It handed back money and powers to local authorities, established transparent procurement procedures, overhauled the banking system and restructured the army so fundamentally that the next invasion came up against an entirely different country to the one it encountered in 2014. ... However, none of these steps was taken of the state's own political will, but rather in the midst of upheaval, under pressure from the Maidan, the front, the Western partners and disaster.”
Election debate is an expression of freedom
Fierce controversies are part and parcel of democracy, Ilta-Sanomat stresses:
“Ukraine's Independence Day is being overshadowed not only by Russian attacks but also by domestic political disputes. Mykhailo Fedorov, the former defence minister who was sacked by President Zelensky, is proposing that elections be held even though the country is at war. Fedorov has also raised sensitive issues such as corruption within the administration and a ruling elite that rewards loyalty rather than competence. Yes, questioning the president's political legitimacy in the midst of war carries risks. On the other hand, raising difficult questions for public debate is a good example of what Ukraine is fighting for: its freedom and its democracy.”
Independence can't defend itself
Former chief of the General Staff Valerii Zaluzhnyi, now ambassador to the UK, describes in NV the mistakes that have been made since 1991:
“The most tragic mistake of that time was to believe that the freedom we had won in the maelstrom of history would protect itself through that very same maelstrom. It fell to us – those of us who were eighteen in 1991 and believed in the elite of the time – to correct their mistakes with our own blood in 2014. But history will tell whether these were actually mistakes or merely part of someone's plan. In any case, the neglect of the state's protection and defence became the key contributing factor that ultimately made this large-scale and bloody war possible in the first place.”