Portugal’s president on Monday sent a message to his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, «and to all Ukrainian citizens», to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day, paying tribute to those «who are defending this independence on the ground».
In the video message, António José Seguro emphasised that «Portugal’s support for Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the courageous Ukrainian people remains and will continue to be unconditional, just as it has been from day one», according to a statement issued by the presidency office.
Reiterating that Portugal «will continue to provide political, humanitarian, financial and military support to Ukraine for as long as necessary», the head of state «expressed his sincere hope that the celebrations on 24 August 2027 will take place in a time of peace».
«The 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence represents, today, four years on from the start of a tragic war, a twofold victory: the victory of time, which has consolidated national identity, and the victory of the collective will of the courageous Ukrainian people, who refuse to yield to force,» emphasised Seguro.
The president remarked that «today is a day to honour those who are defending this independence on the ground; it is a day to recognise the sacrifice of so many families; it is a day to reaffirm a people’s ability to keep their sovereignty alive, even when it is directly and repeatedly challenged».
«These 35 years of independence are a living testament to the fact that a people’s identity is not measured by the absence of adversity, but by the way in which they face it,» continued Seguro, adding that «the friendship between Portugal and Ukraine is a friendship between peoples who share fundamental values and a common determination to defend freedom, democracy and respect for international law» .
The president concluded his message with the now famous Ukrainian greeting «Slava Ukraini!» (Glory to Ukraine).
The ministry of foreign affairs also published a message of congratulations addressed to Kyiv on its official X social media account, stating that «Portugal celebrates with the entire Ukrainian people the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence» from the former Soviet Union.
«Portugal reaffirms its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and European future. It also condemns the atrocious attacks of recent weeks. Happy Independence Day, Ukraine!», the message concluded.
To mark the 35th anniversary of independence, Kyiv is hosting a new meeting of the Coalition of the willing on Ukraine – the group of countries, including Portugal, willing to provide security guarantees to Kyiv in the event of a peace agreement with Russia – as announced last week by the French Presidency.
At a meeting scheduled to begin at 13:00 (11:00 Lisbon time), which will take place in a «hybrid» format – with some leaders in Kyiv and others participating via videoconference – Ukraine’s allies are expected to reaffirm «their determination to step up the pressure on Russia» and will continue «their coordination on measures aimed at reducing the resources» available to Russia to fund its war effort; it is expected that the strengthening of air defences called for by Zelensky will be discussed.