35 Years of Ukraine’s Independence: Freedom, Responsibility, and Our Shared State
Dear Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine,
brothers and sisters!
Today, we celebrate 35 years of Ukraine’s Independence.
But our freedom has roots that go far deeper than August 24, 1991.
It lives in our historical memory — in the tradition of Rus, where human dignity was inseparable from honor; in the free Cossack tradition, where freedom was not granted but fought for; and in generations of thinkers, intellectuals, artists, state-builders, and simply courageous people whose lives brought closer the day when Ukraine would be able to determine its own destiny.
Today, I want to thank each and every one of them.
And everyone who continues their work today.
Over more than twenty years of my involvement in Ukraine’s political life, I have had the honor of contributing to many processes of great importance to our country. And with each passing year, I have come to feel one simple truth more deeply:
The destiny of a country is not an abstract responsibility of the state.
It is the personal responsibility of each of us.
We are different.
We differ in age, gender, profession, income, and life experience. We come from different regions, attend different churches, speak different languages, and belong to different political camps. We may see the past differently and even imagine the future differently.
But we are united by what matters most — we want to be free.
And true freedom is impossible without responsibility.
Responsibility for our own lives.
For our children.
For our decisions.
For our communities.
For Ukraine.
I believe that our next task is not simply to preserve an independent Ukraine, but to build it as a Republic of Free Citizens.
A country where the state serves the individual, not the individual the state.
Where the law is the same for everyone.
Where everyone’s freedom is protected and human dignity is the highest social value.
Where work, responsibility, talent, and enterprise are rewarded.
Where communities are strong and the power of government has clear limits.
Where people are free to live, work, create, love, raise their children, and fulfill their potential.
I believe this is the Ukraine our children and grandchildren will see — one of the most developed, free, and happy countries in the world.
We have not yet reached that Ukraine. But it already begins with each of us.
It is for such a country that its finest sons and daughters are giving their lives and their health today.
May God continue to protect the Ukrainian people, our defenders, our families, and our land.
God, bless Ukraine with peace, freedom, wisdom, and prosperity. Bless the generation that is building its future today. And give us the strength to be worthy of the freedom You have given to humankind.
Happy Independence Day, Ukraine!
With faith in God.
With love for Ukraine.
With responsibility for its future.
Yurii Miroshnychenko 🇺🇦