Zelensky, world leaders mark Ukrainian Independence Day as Russian strikes leave 2 dead

A number of world leaders have joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in congratulating Ukrainians on the country’s Independence Day — including US President Donald Trump, Pope Leo XIV and Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko — against the backdrop of overnight Russian strikes that left at least two dead and another four injured ahead of the holiday.

In a video message recorded in Kyiv’s Maidan Square, a site of great symbolic importance as the centre of the 2013 protest movement that led to the ouster of pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, Zelensky expressed hope that “one day, the distance between Ukrainians will disappear” and stressed that the country’s independence was “being forged on the battlefield” every day.

“We are proving that Ukrainians exist and Ukrainians will remain on this land, on this square, where in a hundred years our next generations will stand. And in a hundred years, they will celebrate Ukraine’s Independence Day here,” Zelensky said.

“Ukraine has not yet won, but it certainly will not lose. Ukraine has won its independence. Ukraine is not a victim; it is a fighter,” he added.

Throughout the day, Zelensky shared messages of support from world leaders, including President Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and French President Emanual Macron, posting their congratulatory letters on social media.

“The people of Ukraine have an unbreakable spirit, and your country’s courage inspires many. As you mark this important day, know the United States respects your fight, honours your sacrifices, and believes in your future as an independent nation,” Trump’s letter read.

“I stand ready to work with you to guide our bilateral relations towards steady and long-term development and bring greater benefits to the peoples of both [Ukraine and China],” Xi wrote.

Elsewhere, other world leaders offered public congratulations to the Ukrainian people, with Pope Leo XIV expressing his hopes that “the clamour of arms may fall silent” in Ukraine, and Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko wishing the Ukrainian people “peaceful skies, solidarity and truly independent development”.

Ukraine’s Independence Day commemorates the country’s 1991 parliamentary vote to break from Soviet rule. A referendum held months later confirmed the decision, with 92 percent of Ukrainians — including a majority of those in eastern regions currently occupied by Russia — voting for independence.

On Saturday night, on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day celebrations, Russian missile and drone strikes on the country’s north, east, and south killed at least two people and injured four others, regional authorities reported.