Ukrainians are fighting for freedom in the same spirit as Americans created independence 250 years ago

Echo opinion published in The Carolina Journal  a North Carolina, by Matthew Rybnicek, an intern at the John Locke Foundation.

Next year will mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence — the document that called for the freedom Americans later won on the battlefield. 

As we celebrate our independence and reflect on freedom, the core value of the American nation, I would like to draw attention to Europe, where another nation is fighting for its sovereignty. Honoring the foundations on which our own nation was built, I believe that Ukraine’s fight against the brutality of Russian imperialist ambition is a struggle that should resonate with every American.

In the summer of 2025, I spent two months working in the city of Lviv and visited Kyiv on a few occasions. I saw firsthand how the war was affecting the country and its people. In the fourth year of full-scale war, people there are exhausted and numb to the violence. Practically every night, Ukrainians wake up to the sounds of air raid alarms, Shahed kamikaze drones, and Kinzhal ballistic missiles. Some nights, no one is killed, but most of these attacks take the lives of dozens of civilians.

Soon after I left Kyiv on July 29, a massive Russian attack on the city killed more than 30 civilians, including five children. August 1st was declared a day of mourning.

For three years, Ukraine has resisted the full-scale Russian invasion. Propaganda and disinformation have highly politicized the war and made it seem that Russia and Ukraine are fighting upon the same moral grounds. At the start of the full-scale invasion, the Russian propaganda machine pushed the narrative that the so-called Special Military Operation was a necessary measure to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and thus counter its expansion. It is rather obvious, however, that it is the insatiable imperial appetite and the desire to restore Russian influence that are the driving forces behind Russia’s actions.

Vladimir Putin’s narratives on the artificiality of the Ukrainian state, the historical brotherhood of the Russian and Ukrainian people, and the Nazis infiltrating the Ukrainian government contradict the historic records of Russian imperialism in Ukraine. 

Russia exploits superficial and often fabricated facts in its imperialist propaganda, while simultaneously destroying evidence of Ukraine’s history and rich cultural heritage. If we want to secure Ukraine’s free future, we must protect and study the country’s history.

The regular attacks have become part of the routine for the residents of Kyiv, a city larger than New York City in physical size. No one here is guaranteed a tomorrow — so between surviving, mourning the dead, healing the wounded, and rebuilding what has been destroyed, people try to enjoy every second of their lives to the fullest. Russian drones and missiles target residential buildings. Kyiv’s air defense, while being highly efficient, is getting exhausted and requires continued support from the Western allies.

Lviv, the city where I spent the majority of my summer, is safer than Kyiv, although air raid alerts are frequent there as well. There were a couple of drone attacks on Lviv though when I was there. And when I would ask my colleagues what they felt during the night, a majority of them would state that they slept through the air raid alerts and through the attacks. As someone who was not used to this environment, at first I could not understand how it could be possible that my colleagues were not up all night terrified for their lives. I later understood that this numbness to the immediate danger was a defense mechanism that allowed Ukrainians to stay sane amid the horrors of the war.

In Lviv, I worked at a war trauma center that provides plastic and reconstructive surgery, prosthetics and rehabilitation, hearing restoration and psychological support to civilians and military injured in the war. Every day, I encountered people whose bravery, resilience, and boundless optimism ignited hope. I can guarantee that any American who could meet the patients of the center would be inspired by their perseverance in pursuit of independence which Russia has tried to steal from them — both on a personal level, by damaging their bodies, and more broadly the independence of the Ukrainian state. They stand up to their challenges with faith and humor, make plans for the future, and honor the losses.

Collective memory and the culture of remembrance is an important topic of discourse in Ukraine. It is most evident in daily rituals. Every morning at 9am, the entire country stops what they are doing. Whether working, driving on a highway, or eating, everyone stands up for a minute of silence to honor those killed in the war. Even when I was on the bus going to work, promptly at 9am the bus would stop and everyone would get out of their seats to observe this tradition. Whenever funeral processions for fallen warriors passed through the city, everyone stopped what they were doing and knelt as the convoy headed to the cemetery.

Honoring the fellow citizens killed in the war is an important part of Ukraine’s fight. Whether in grief, exhausted, or in poor health, Ukrainians cannot stop fighting. 

Everyone in Ukraine plays a role in the fight for freedom. The spirit of the Ukrainian people should inspire all Americans as we stand at the critical crossroads. We should look to the Ukrainians and stand with them as they craft their own future of freedom and democracy.

As Donald Trump attempts to negotiate with evil Russian dictator (Maine Writer - "evil attracts evil"),  Vladimir Putin, and as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our American independence, we must recognize that if the United States is to remain a true beacon of democracy and personal liberty, supporting Ukraine is essential to preserving the legacy of our Founding Fathers. 

If we fail to act appropriately and allow Ukraine to be surrendered for a quick peace, as Neville Chamberlain surrendered Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany in 1938, the world as we know it will not become safer. It will be far more dangerous, with long term consequences for generations.

For those of us who are North Carolinians, we take pride in our fight for independence and freedom. We initiated the Halifax Resolves of 1776 — the first official action by a colony calling for independence from the British Empire. As a matter of fact, North Carolina is recognized for how we secured independence through strength, courage, and stubbornness to submit to a larger power. That same spirit is evident in the Ukraine, 250 years later.

Matthew Rybnicek is an intern at the John Locke Foundation. Matthew grew up in Shelby,