European allies back Ukraine as country marks Independence Day without US envoys
European leaders joined Zelenskyy in Kyiv as Ukraine marked its fifth Independence Day since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. No delegates from the Trump administration were present as Witkoff and Kushner stayed away from ceremony.
Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day with celebrations in Kyiv attended by European leaders, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was not mentioned, and European Council President Antonio Costa. According to The Korea Times, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech that Ukraine wants peace but will not give in to Russia at any price.
The event was notable for the absence of US representatives, with Euronews reporting that no delegates from the Trump administration were present.
In a separate development, Russia launched attacks on Ukraine, including a drone strike on an apartment building in Chernihiv, injuring at least 18 people, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Brief written by urgent.news from Euronews, The Korea Times, Kyiv Independent, South China Morning Post, Saudi Gazette — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
