Zelensky Congratulates Ukrainians on 30th Anniversary of the Constitution

Ukraine is marking the 30th anniversary of its Constitution on Sunday, June 28, with state, military, and security leaders emphasizing the nation’s enduring fight to protect the sovereignty and democratic values enshrined in the historic document.

30th anniversary of the Ukrainian Constitution

The Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s parliament) officially adopted the foundational document on June 28, 1996, at 9:18 a.m. local time, following nearly 24 hours of continuous and grueling plenary sessions.

On Sunday June 28, in a celebratory address published on Telegram, President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted that the Constitution derives its true strength from the Ukrainian people.

“Exactly 30 years ago, the Basic Law of our state was adopted, which is empowered by Ukrainian men and women,” Zelensky wrote. He noted that the citizens of Ukraine fill the pages of the Constitution with life “through their example, their deeds, their work, and their struggle for Ukraine – a sovereign, independent, democratic, legal, European, peaceful, and independent nation.”

A European trajectory

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko also extended her congratulations, reflecting on the historical weight of the document and its modern implications for Ukraine’s geopolitical trajectory.

“Ukraine is a young state of an ancient people. This trait is reflected in the Constitution of Ukraine – a 30-year-old document based on a centuries-old tradition of state-building,” Svyrydenko stated.

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She emphasized that while the Basic Law defined the choice for a democratic state three decades ago, it has more recently cemented Ukraine’s “irreversible movement toward full membership in the European Union.” The prime minister expressed her gratitude to the frontline defenders and the millions of citizens whose daily work strengthens the state apparatus.

Defending constitutional rights

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrsky, addressed the military dimensions of the anniversary, tracing Ukraine’s constitutional heritage back centuries to historical precedents such as Yaroslav the Wise’s “Ruska Pravda,” the Statutes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk, and the documents of the Ukrainian People’s Republic.

“Today, every soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a defender of the Constitution, its values, and principles,” Syrsky stated. “With weapons in our hands, we are defending the right of the Ukrainian people to independently determine their own destiny.”

Syrsky stressed that the courage of Ukrainian troops guarantees the enforcement of the Constitution and the protection of citizens’ rights. He expressed confidence that the document will ultimately operate unconditionally across all of Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, “from the Carpathians to the Donbas, from the Chernihiv region to Ukrainian Crimea.”

The commander-in-chief concluded with a reminder of the obligations inherent in the law: “The Constitution is not only about rights. It is also about responsibility and duty. First and foremost – the sacred duty of defending the Motherland. So that our children can live in a free, democratic, and European Ukraine, we must defend this right today.”

Acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Major General Yevhen Khmara, echoed these sentiments, noting that the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the document – freedom, equality, and independence – form the core of the national character.

“A copy of the Constitution can be printed in a single day. But a state in which these principles truly work is built by generations,” Khmara stated in his address. “And now, Ukrainian warriors are not just defending the country, but doing everything to pass it on to our descendants strong and independent.”

He expressed his gratitude to all those defending Ukraine’s territorial integrity and constitutional order, adding that the ongoing battlefield struggle proves to the occupying forces that the Ukrainian nation cannot be broken.