It was 25 years ago the Kyiv’s October Revolution Square — later renamed “Maidan Nezalezhnosti” (Independence Square) — was full of people with flags and posters demanding an end to the brutal Soviet Russian occupation.
The “Verkhovna Rada” parliament of the Soviet puppet state known as Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, composed mostly of Communist Party members and their sympathizers, was meeting in a special session in the aftermath of the hardline Communist coup attempt Aug. 19 in Moscow.
After a tense 11-hour session, it overwhelmingly approved the Act of Declaration of Independence.
The text of the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine:
• In view of the mortal danger surrounding Ukraine in connection with the state coup in the USSR on August 19, 1991,
• Continuing the thousand-year tradition of state development in Ukraine,
• Proceeding from the right of nation self-determination in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other international legal documents, and
• Implementing the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine, The Verkhovna Rada solemnly declares the Independence of Ukraine and the creation of an independent Ukrainian state — Ukraine.
The territory of Ukraine is indivisible and inviolable. From this day forward only the Constitution and laws of Ukraine are valid on the territory of Ukraine.
The Act passed with 321 votes in favor, two votes against, and six abstentions (out of 360 members).
The parliament also approved an act on nationwide referendum to validate the Act (which was held Dec. 1, 1991 and was approved by over 90 percent of voters), created the National Guard of Ukraine, and turned jurisdiction over all the armed forces and military installations located on the Ukrainian territory over to itself. As a result of this act Ukraine became the fourth-largest nuclear power in the world, until voluntarily agreeing to dispose of the arsenal following guarantees against threats or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine.
Annexation of Crimea by Putin’s Russian Federation in March 2014 was a breach of its obligation to Ukraineunder the Budapest Memorandum signed by Russian Federation together with the United States and Great Britain.
Canada and Poland were the first countries to recognize Ukraine’s independence, both on Dec. 2, 1991, followed by the President Boris Yeltsin of Russia. The United States did so on Dec. 25, 1991.
That month the independence of Ukraine was recognized by 68 states, and in 1992, it was recognized by another 64 states.
As Ukraine celebrates the 25th anniversary of restoration of independence, its economy is still on shaky ground, and many political and social issues are not fully implemented, as the people of Ukraine are expecting following the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity, which included over one hundred dead patriots. The Russian annexation of Crimea, the incursion of Russian military personnel and armor into the eastern part of Ukraine’s Donbas and Luhansk regions in support of local terrorists which resulted in close to 10,000 death, and the continuous subversive acts by Russian operatives on the territory of Ukraine united all people of Ukraine, regardless of cultural, ethnic and religious background, like never before.
They feel proud of their free and democratic country, and are valiantly defending it.
May God bless Ukraine and its people for many, many years: “Mnohaya Leeta, Ukraine!”
Email: atanask@aol.com
Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians
by Atanas Kobryn
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