Ukrainian officials marked the United States’ Independence Day on 4 July with an unusually public appeal for continued American military assistance, coupling festive congratulations with reminders that Ukraine is still fighting to preserve its own sovereignty after more than three years of full-scale Russian invasion. Messages from Kyiv’s ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova, and other senior figures thanked Americans for past support and warned that "freedom is never free," underscoring what they called a shared struggle for democratic self-rule. The appeals come two days after the Trump administration paused deliveries of key U.S. weapons, including Patriot air-defence missiles, 155 mm artillery shells, Hellfire missiles and more than 250 GMLRS rockets. Kyiv learned of the decision only after media reports and has formally asked Washington to reconsider, arguing that gaps in air defences could emerge within months. Hours after the greetings were issued, Russia fired roughly 500 missiles and drones at Kyiv and other cities, wounding at least 19 people in the capital, according to local authorities.