In a video message, António José Seguro emphasized that Portugal's support for Ukraine, its territorial integrity, and sovereignty, as well as for the Ukrainian people, remains and will continue to be unconditional since the beginning of the events, as disclosed by the Presidency of the Republic.
The Head of State reiterated Portugal's commitment to providing political, humanitarian, financial, and military support to Ukraine whenever necessary. He also expressed sincere wishes for the celebrations on August 24, 2027, to take place in times of peace.
Seguro stressed that the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence marks, after four years of tragic war, a double achievement: the victory of time, which solidified national identity, and the victory of the collective will of the Ukrainian people, who refuse to yield to force.
The President of the Republic considered that this day should be dedicated to honoring those who defend this independence on the battlefield, recognizing the sacrifice of many families and reaffirming the ability of a people to preserve their sovereignty, even under constant and repeated challenges.
He continued by stating that these 35 years of independence serve as living proof that a people's identity is not measured by the absence of difficulties, but by the way they face them. Seguro concluded that the friendship between Portugal and Ukraine is a bond between nations that share essential values and a common determination to defend freedom, democracy, and respect for International Law.
At the end of the message, the President of the Republic uttered the well-known greeting in Ukrainian: «Slava Ukraini!» (Glory to Ukraine).
Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a congratulatory message on its official account on the social network X, addressed to Kyiv. In this publication, it was mentioned that 'Portugal celebrates with the entire Ukrainian people the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's independence' from the former Soviet Union.
The ministerial message added: 'Portugal reaffirms its support for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and European future. And condemns the atrocious attacks of recent weeks. Happy Independence Day, Ukraine!'.
On the occasion of this anniversary, Kyiv will host a new meeting of the Coalition of the Good Will on Ukraine. This group of countries, including Portugal, expressed last week to the French Presidency its willingness to offer security guarantees to Kyiv if there is a peace agreement with Russia.
The meeting, scheduled to start at 13:00 (11:00 Lisbon time) and held in a hybrid format—with some leaders present in Kyiv and others participating via video conference—should allow Ukraine's allies to reaffirm their intention to intensify pressure on Russia. Furthermore, they will continue coordinating measures aimed at reducing resources available to finance the Russian war effort, and it is expected that the reinforcement of air defense requested by Zelensky will be discussed.