US President Donald Trump joined other world leaders in sending messages of support to Ukraine on Sunday as it celebrates Independence Day at a time when there is little hope for peace despite intense diplomatic efforts.
Trump sent a letter to Ukraine on the country’s 34th Independence Day – which marks the anniversary of declaring itself free of Soviet rule – praising its courage and saying the United States believes in its future as an independent state.
The letter was shared on X by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as he delivered his own message: we will not lose.
Ukraine and Russia have continued to exchange strikes, with Russian officials saying Sunday that a fire broke out after a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was shot down near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, damaging a transformer at the site.
Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the Russian claims.
