TIRANA, Aug 24 /ATA/ Ukraine’s Ambassador to Albania, Volodymyr Shkurov, has shared a message marking the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.
Shkurov said that for nearly five years, Ukraine has been fighting to defend its independence with weapons in hand.
“The resilience of the Ukrainian people has also been sustained by the support and solidarity of the Albanian people and government, as well as by the European Union, the UK, the US and the wider democratic world,” he said.
Full statement by Ambassador Volodymyr Shkurov
History knows many states that have declared independence. But only a few generations have the honour—and, at the same time, the challenge—of defending and consolidating it. Today’s Ukrainians are among those generations.
When Ukraine’s Supreme Rada (Verkhovna Rada) adopted the Act of Declaration of Independence on 24 August 1991, few could have imagined that three decades later Ukrainians would once again be forced to defend their independence with weapons. Ukraine was not born in 1991; rather, that year marked the restoration of its independence after centuries of struggle and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Yet this is precisely where the main lesson of Ukrainian history lies: independence cannot be taken for granted. It is an ongoing journey, paved with a people’s sacrifices in defence of their freedom.
1991 – Ukraine makes a historic decision
On 24 August 1991, Ukraine’s Supreme Rada adopted the Act of Declaration of Independence. The decision was endorsed in a nationwide referendum on 1 December, when more than 90% of voters backed independence.
This was not merely a separation from the Soviet Union, but a return to Ukraine’s European political traditions and the restoration of its statehood. Independence was not the end of the country’s history, but the beginning of a major responsibility: building a modern and democratic state.
Ukraine chose the path of freedom.
1991–2013 – Consolidating the state and shaping its European choice
The first decades of independence were marked above all by difficult reforms, economic challenges and the building of state institutions. Ukraine established its own armed forces, diplomatic service, national currency and system of public administration.
At the same time, this period saw the emergence of a key direction in Ukraine’s foreign policy: integration into the European democratic community. The Orange Revolution of 2004 and the events that preceded it demonstrated Ukrainian society’s aspiration to live in a state where power is based on the will of the people, the rule of law and respect for human dignity.
Ukraine was learning what it meant to be free.
2014 – Independence took on a new meaning
The Revolution of Dignity showed that Ukrainians were prepared to defend their European choice. When Russia responded by annexing Crimea and fuelling the war in Donbas, it became clear that the conflict was not simply about territory, but about Ukraine’s right to determine its own future.
At that point, independence ceased to be merely a political and legal concept. It became a matter of national survival. Ukraine showed that freedom is not for sale.
2022 to the present – The fight for freedom became a fight not only for Ukraine, but for Europe’s future.
Russia’s full-scale invasion changed not only Ukraine, but Europe and the wider world. The Ukrainian people have shown the world that freedom comes at a price and that democratic values must be defended.
Today, Ukraine is defending more than its own statehood. It is defending the principles of the UN Charter, international law and the right of every independent state to choose its own path of development.
For this reason, support for Ukraine has become not only a matter of solidarity, but also a defence of the rules-based international order.
Ukraine has shown that freedom can and must be defended, even when it means facing an adversary far superior in strength and resources.
Despite the Ukrainian people’s heroic efforts, the full-scale and bloody war launched by Russia has now continued for more than four years. Ukraine’s heroic Armed Forces are defending their people and their land at the cost of their lives.
As Russia struggles to achieve significant gains on the battlefield, it has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian cities and villages. Night after night, Russian missile and drone strikes are killing civilians, causing deaths and injuries, and inflicting widespread destruction on residential buildings, hospitals, schools, energy facilities and other critical civilian infrastructure. They are also damaging cultural heritage sites and destroying ecosystems across entire regions.
Deliberate attacks on civilian facilities and populations are part of the military terror that Russia is systematically waging against Ukraine, in serious violation of international law and basic humanitarian principles. To date, more than 20,000 confirmed cases of the deportation or forcible displacement of Ukrainian children have been documented.
According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, 437 civilians were killed and another 2,610 were injured in July 2026 alone. The civilian death toll was the highest recorded since May 2022.
Crimes against humanity, children and the civilian population have, sadly, become commonplace for the Russian occupiers. Yet Ukraine remains one of the world’s leaders in security and a reliable guarantor of physical security. As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said: “It is Ukraine that wants peace. It is Ukraine that has not wanted this war for a single day.”
Crimes against humanity, children and the civilian population have, sadly, become commonplace for the Russian occupiers. Yet Ukraine remains one of the world’s leaders in security and a reliable guarantor of physical security. As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said: “It is Ukraine that wants peace. It is Ukraine that has not wanted this war for a single day.”
A year before the war, in February 2021, I had the honour of opening the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Albania.
The last time we celebrated it in Tirana was in August 2021, marking the 30th anniversary of an independent and peaceful Ukraine. For almost five years, Ukraine has been asserting its independence with weapons in hand.
The resilience of the Ukrainian people has also been made possible by the support and solidarity of the Albanian people, the Government of Albania, the countries of the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and the wider democratic world.
I once again express my deepest gratitude to Prime Minister Edi Rama, President Bajram Begaj, Speaker of Parliament Niko Peleshi, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha, members of the government and everyone who has contributed, for their willingness to support Ukraine in its heroic struggle against Russian aggression.
The escalation of the enemy’s attacks on our rear areas, destroying civilian infrastructure, is nothing more than a criminal attempt to break the will of our people. We are preparing for even greater hardships, including the harsh challenges of a winter without electricity, heating or water. It is difficult to comprehend, but the reality is truly harsh and beyond anything that should be conceivable in the civilised world of the 21st century.
Ukraine continues to fight, work and build. Ahead lie the reconstruction of the country, the return of our people to their homes, reforms and Ukraine’s full membership of the European Union.
This is the choice of our people and what they believe in, despite the pain of their losses. Independence is not a static condition, but an ongoing process of strengthening the state, developing democracy and fulfilling our responsibility to our citizens.
Thirty-five years after restoring its independence, Ukraine remains true to the choice it made in 1991. In the face of every challenge, it continues along its path — the path of freedom, European integration and a peace based on justice — because Ukraine is convinced that it is safeguarding freedom for future generations.
Thirty-five years after restoring its independence, we understand its true value better than ever. It is measured not only by national symbols or international recognition, but by human dignity, the courage of those defending their country, the resilience of society and faith in the future.
That is precisely why the Ukrainian people chose the path of independence for themselves. And I am convinced that this path will lead to victory, a just peace and Ukraine’s rightful place in a united Europe.
Thirty-five years after restoring its independence, we understand its true value better than ever. It is measured not only by national symbols or international recognition, but by human dignity, the courage of those defending their country, the resilience of society and faith in the future.
That is precisely why the Ukrainian people chose the path of independence for themselves. And I am convinced that this path will lead to victory, a just peace and Ukraine’s rightful place in a united Europe.
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