On 24 August 1991, Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, declared independence from the collapsing Soviet Union. The act marked a decisive turning point in European history, as one of the largest Soviet republics broke away to establish itself as a sovereign state.
A nation steps out of Moscow’s shadow
The independence vote came just three days after the failure of a hardline communist coup in Moscow, which had aimed to restore Soviet central control. Emboldened by the Kremlin’s political paralysis, Ukrainian lawmakers overwhelmingly endorsed the declaration, signalling their intent to chart a new course free from Moscow’s influence.
The declaration underscored a long struggle for self-determination. Ukraine, often called the “breadbasket of Europe” for its vast agricultural resources, had for centuries found itself caught between imperial powers. Soviet rule brought industrialisation and urbanisation but also deep trauma, including the Holodomor famine of the 1930s and decades of political repression.
A vote of the people
While parliament acted on 24 August, full legitimacy came later that year. On 1 December 1991, Ukrainians endorsed independence in a national referendum, with over 90% voting in favour. The outcome surprised even some observers in Moscow, as support proved overwhelming not only in western regions with strong nationalist traditions but also in the east and south, where ties to Russia were deepest.
That same day, Leonid Kravchuk was elected Ukraine’s first president. Within weeks, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine jointly declared the Soviet Union dissolved, replacing it with the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Strategic and global consequences
Ukraine’s independence immediately altered the balance of power in Europe. With its population of more than 50 million and vast territory, the new state became a key player between East and West. The country also inherited the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal, later relinquished under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum in exchange for security assurances — an agreement that would prove contentious decades later.
Globally, Ukraine’s breakaway accelerated the collapse of the Soviet Union, inspiring other republics to declare sovereignty and reshaping the post-Cold War order. For Russia, it marked the loss of a strategic partner, a trauma that continues to reverberate in contemporary politics.
Legacy and today’s resonance
More than three decades later, Ukraine’s independence remains at the centre of Europe’s security landscape. Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and the full-scale invasion launched in 2022 have underlined the unfinished struggle over sovereignty first declared in 1991. For Ukrainians, 24 August is not just a commemoration of statehood but a reaffirmation of their right to self-determination — one still being defended on the battlefield today.
REFH – Newshub, 24 August 2025
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