Ukraine got independence as a gift in 1991. Now it is paying in blood

Euromaidan Press has published a commentary piece examining Ukraine's 1991 independence through the lens of colonial theory. The author argues that, according to this theoretical framework, what Ukraine received in 1991 amounts to so-called "flag independence" — a formal, symbolic recognition of statehood that was not won through a prolonged, bloody anti-colonial struggle of the kind that has historically defined other nations' paths to sovereignty.

A historical comparison

The piece emphasizes that no genuine anti-colonial struggle in history has ever been bloodless — such struggles have always come at the cost of human lives. Because Ukraine's 1991 independence arrived relatively peacefully, tied to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the author contends that it does not fit the classic model of anti-colonial struggle as described by colonial theory.

Today's context

The headline and text of the piece suggest that the current situation — in which Ukraine is fighting for its statehood and territorial integrity — represents the moment when the country is now paying, in blood, the price that was not demanded in 1991. The author thus contrasts the formal independence "gifted" more than three decades ago with the far heavier cost the nation is paying today to defend its existence and sovereignty.

The publication is an opinion piece offering a historical and theoretical perspective on the meaning of Ukraine's independence, rather than a news report on specific events or figures.