Ukraine, which was a part of the Soviet Union, declared its independence on August 24, 1991.
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New Delhi, Aug.23: President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday extended his greetings and felicitations to the government and people of Ukraine on the eve of their Independence Day.
“Our two nations have worked together to support and protect the right of the Ukrainian people to freely choose their own path forward”.
Several coalition allies are under pressure – particularly from militant paramilitary groups that oppose giving any ground to Russian-backed separatists.
Poroshenko, French President Francois Hollande, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will gather to discuss implementation of the Minsk cease-fire agreement.
Ukrainian authorities have mobilised huge numbers of police and interior ministry troops to reinforce security for the weekend and Independence Day itself being celebrated today when there will be a march in Kiev of soldiers serving on the front line.
The conflict in the east, which has claimed more than 6,800 lives since it began in April 2014, saw a major uptick in violence last week with nine civilians and soldiers killed in just one day.
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The press office of the Ukrainian military operation in the east said Monday that the rebels violated the cease-fire 82 times overnight, in some cases with large-caliber weapons that should have been withdrawn in line with a truce signed in February. Kiev and Western governments, which have imposed sanctions on Russia, say there is irrefutable evidence of Russian involvement in the separatist resistance.
