35 Years of Ukrainian Independence: Why Its Continuation Determines European Security
On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Ukrainian Declaration of Independence on August 24, 1991, Eugene Czolij – President of the NGO "Ukraine-2050", Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Montreal, former President of the Ukrainian World Congress, and Honorary Member of the ОУОН – has written an opinion piece for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Canada).
Czolij places independence in a historical context: it ended three centuries of Russian foreign rule, which included the Holodomor recognized as genocide, and accelerated the collapse of the Soviet Union. He outlines how Russia has since attempted to reclaim Ukraine and how the West initially responded hesitantly to the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion war since 2022. He cites warning statements from Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Army Inspector Christian Freuding, suggesting that Russia could be capable of attacking a NATO country by 2029.
Despite Ukrainian successes – such as drone attacks on Russian oil infrastructure – Czolij warns of a dangerous decline in Western air defense deliveries: According to President Zelenskyy, Ukraine received only a third of the interceptors it had the previous year in 2026. His conclusion: NATO countries must act now in their own security interests, especially regarding air defense, to ensure a secure future.
Source: Eugene Czolij, „The independence of Ukraine shapes our common future", Kyiv Post, 2026
Eugene Czolij
President of the NGO "Ukraine-2050"
Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Montreal
President of the Ukrainian World Congress (2008-2018)
Honorary Member of the umbrella organization of Ukrainian organizations in Germany e.V.