Ukraine marked the 34th anniversary of its 1991 declaration of independence on 24 August with a ceremony in Kyiv’s Independence Square, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy led a moment of silence for those killed in more than three years of war. Foreign guests included U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, underscoring continuing Western support. In his address, Zelenskyy said a set of international security guarantees designed to shield a post-war Ukraine would be finalised “in the coming days” and insisted Kyiv would not cede territory. He reiterated that a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin remains “the most effective way forward” to end the conflict, even as frontline fighting and drone strikes continued. U.S. President Donald Trump sent Zelenskyy a letter praising Ukrainians’ “unbreakable spirit” and urging a negotiated settlement that preserves the country’s sovereignty. Trump, who hosted Putin in Anchorage on 15 August, is pushing for a Zelenskyy-Putin summit, but no date has been set. Moscow signalled little enthusiasm for immediate talks. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western capitals of obstructing diplomacy, while Ukrainian officials reported fresh Russian air attacks in Sumy and near Donetsk. The divergent messages left prospects for renewed negotiations uncertain despite stepped-up international engagement.