It was the third celebration of independence that took place amid the war raging in eastern Donbas and therefore had a special meaning to it.

The annual argument broke out about the appropriateness of a military parade in the country at war. We stand with the backers of the parade as a demonstration of the respect and support to the military defending the country against Russia. That said, we warn against defining the country’s greatness with its military power.

A sad and angering note was added when the parade brought together the soldiers and the Donbas war veterans face to face with the camp of the country’s top officials. Standing on the podium for the important guests, armored in Zegna, the ministers and lawmakers were looking at the parading military like Roman emperors at gladiators.

Of course, it’s not an entirely fair comparison: The gladiators got killed for the emperors’ amusement, Ukrainian soldiers get killed while defending the country – but only for the officials to rob it blind.

The point is, the officials have inexcusably let down the military. While soldiers – more than 2,500 – were getting killed in the muddy trenches of Donbas, winning time for the country to change, people in high offices were sabotaging the reforms, keeping a blind eye to corruption and ordering slander campaigns against journalists.

The parade brought together the two sorts of Ukrainians: the people who put the nation’s interests above their own, and the people who put their own interests above everything.

At the end of the day, it is the outcome of the fight between these two forces that will define the next 25 years for Ukraine.