EDITOR'S CORNER: What Does Independence Actually Mean for Ukraine?

August 24th is Ukraine's Independence Day. This is year marks 35 years since the Verkhovna Rada adopted the Act of Declaration of Independence. It has now been 4 years and 6 months since the war, or 1,642 days. The day feels somehow more important this year. 35 years since Ukraine escaped from the strangling yoke of the Russian rule. And now, they have to fight tooth and nail, land liberated inch by inch, peppered with the blood and sacrifice of hundred of thousands of brave Ukrainian defenders. 

Today, I want to have a look at what independence means when the country is at war. And how much is it worth paying in blood and sacrifice of people.  

 

IT STARTED IN 1991, BUT THAT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING

August 24th, 1991, was the day Ukraine declared independence as the Soviet Union was collapsing. It was a historic moment for a nation whose language, culture, and identity had been suppressed for decades under Soviet rule. However, it was also the beginning of a difficult experiment. Suddenly, Ukraine had to build its own political and social institutions and become a functioning independent state after decades within the Soviet Union.

The Ukrainian people confirmed that decision in a referendum later that year, on December 1st, 1991. The result was overwhelming: 92% voted in favour of independence. On December 26th, 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist.

For many people today, 1991 can feel like ancient history. The world has changed enormously since then. Technology has transformed everyday life, borders and alliances have shifted, and an entirely new generation has grown up. However, some things have remained firmly in the minds of many.

Modern Ukraine exists because of the decision made in 1991. Without it, there would be no independent Ukrainian government, no independent Ukrainian foreign policy, and no Ukrainian armed forces defending the country today.

But there is something else worth remembering.

Independence is not necessarily permanent simply because it has been declared.

It has to be defended, maintained and, ultimately, chosen again and again by the people who live under it. For Ukraine, that question is no longer theoretical. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began on February 24th, 2022, Ukrainians have been fighting not only for territory, but for the right to determine the future of their own country.

Thirty-five years after Ukraine declared independence, that independence is still being tested.

1991 GAVE UKRAINE INDEPENDENCE, 2022 CAME AND TESTED IT 

For twenty-two years, after 1991, Ukraine existed as a peaceful independent country. It had its issues of course, as any country after communism had. There was (and is still in some ways) economical issues, corruption and a slow run to good capitalism. There were also political crises.  There were arguments about corruption, NATO, the European Union, Russia and the country's own identity.

But despite all of this, Ukraine remained free Ukraine. 

All of that changed in February 2014 when Russians came with their little green men. All of a sudden, Ukraine had to give up a piece of their own land, and be forced to fight in the East. It was not a great, big war. It was the sort of war that one forgets about if they lived in Kyiv. However, the slight peace was not long lived. Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.

Suddenly, the question of Ukrainian continual independence stopped being historical.

It became immediate.

Could Ukraine survive as an independent country while Russia tried to push and push towards the centre of power in Kyiv?

That was the real question.

INDEPENDECE UNDER ATTACK 

The strange thing about independence and freedom is that you probably don't think about it very much when you have it. I know as someone who has lived in Western democracies all my life, I know that I value free speech and freedom, but it's also something that mostly I take for granted. I think that for most people it is like this. If you live in a country where you can speak your language without restrictions, vote, travel, do whatever you want and decide what political direction your country should take, then freedom feels like a right and it is invisible. 

Freedom is in the background and your life hums by silently and slowly. When war comes, it changes that. 

All of a sudden on 24 February 2022, for Ukrainians freedom became something they had to defend. The blue and yellow flag was no longer simply a national symbol. It became a reminder of what was at stake. The same applies to Ukrainian language and culture.

Russia's invasion was not simply an attempt to take territory. The conflict also became a struggle over Ukraine's political future and its right to determine its own identity.

That is why August 24th now carries a very different weight.

INDEPENDECE DAY BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT IN WAR

In 2022, Ukraine’s Independence Day was unlike any other in the country’s history. Ukraine was six months into the full-scale Russian invasion, and large public celebrations were restricted due to the threat of further attacks. The early months of the war had also brought painful and devastating discoveries, including the atrocities uncovered in Bucha and Irpin. The country was only beginning to emerge from the shock of the invasion, while also confronting profound loss and mourning. There was little reason for a conventional celebration.

And yet, the symbolism of the day was arguably stronger than ever.

Ukraine was celebrating its independence while fighting to preserve it. That contradiction captures much of what the holiday means today. There is celebration, but also grief. There is pride, but also exhaustion. There is hope, but also uncertainty. Above all, there is the recognition that independence is not something Ukraine can simply take for granted. It is something that must be defended, protected, and fought for.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE WAR?

We have returned to this question several times in previous blog posts. Still, it is worth asking again, because it opens the door to a broader discussion—about peace, about ending the war, and about what it might mean for Ukraine to return to something resembling normal life.

At the same time, we should be careful not to fall into the trap of assuming that every promise made by Russia will be kept. History has given Ukraine more than enough reason to remain cautious, and there is a real possibility that commitments made by Russia will not hold.

I also want to return to this question as a reminder that the war will not last forever. One day, this too will be history. We will look back on these years, remember what was lost, and, eventually, our lives will begin to move forward again. That day may still feel distant. For now, it is not the time to look away. Even when war fatigue sets in, we need to remain strong, engaged, and present.

Much of the discussion about Ukraine understandably focuses on the war itself: territory, weapons, sanctions, negotiations, and the question of when the parties will return to the table to discuss peace. But Ukraine is far more than the war it is currently fighting. We also need to think about what the country will look like afterwards.

What will happen to Ukrainian art, culture, literature, music, and identity? How will society respond to the experience of war? Will Ukraine be able to rebuild the cities and communities that have been destroyed? How many of those who have left will return home, and what will happen to those who choose to stay elsewhere? And perhaps most importantly, what will Ukraine’s relationship with Europe and the wider West look like after the war?

These questions may not be as urgent as those being asked on the battlefield today, but they will shape the Ukraine that emerges from this war. Thinking about that future is also a way of remembering that the story of Ukraine does not end with the war. It continues beyond it.

CONCLUSION

Independence is about more than borders, a government, or a president. At its most basic level, a country is independent when it has control over its own territory and the ability to govern itself. These things are clearly fundamental, but Ukraine’s experience shows that independence goes much deeper.

Ukraine has demonstrated remarkable resilience and the capacity to maintain its institutions, its society, and its ability to defend itself even under extraordinary pressure. But independence is also about preserving the things that make a country what it is: its language, culture, music, literature, traditions, and collective memory. For Ukraine, protecting these elements is inseparable from protecting its independence and ensuring that its identity cannot once again be suppressed or destroyed.

Ultimately, August 24 is a day of peace. It is a day that represents freedom, choice, and independence for Ukraine. It is a reminder that Ukraine has the right to shape its own future and make its own choices. Above all, it is a reminder that Ukraine must remain in control of its own destiny.