Berlin, Germany - August 24, 2025 Hundreds of Ukrainians and supporters gathered near the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin on Sunday, August 24, 2025, to mark Ukraine's Independence Day, waving blue-and-yellow flags and holding signs calling Russia a "terrorist state." Demonstrators chanted and carried placards demanding more Western military support, including the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, and urging Russia to return children taken from occupied territories. Oleksii Makeiev, Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, addressed the crowd during the rally, which took place on the 34th anniversary of Ukraine's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union. Ukraine's Independence Day, observed on August 24, comes as Kyiv continues to fight Russia's full-scale invasion launched in February 2022. Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Oleksii Makeiev said at the Berlin rally that more than a million Ukrainians have found refuge in Germany. He stressed that independence is something “you have to fight for,” calling Ukraine the only European nation actively resisting Russian aggression. Makeiev added that while Ukrainians want peace, Russia must also take responsibility for it to be achieved. Transcript – Oleksii Makeiev, Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany Soundbite 1: "Today I am here with my people — Ukrainians in Berlin, and with more than one million Ukrainians in Germany who have found shelter here. We celebrate our Independence Day because independence is not something that just exists by itself. Independence is something you have to fight for. And right now, Ukraine is the only European country resisting Russian aggression and fighting for its freedom and independence." Soundbite 2: "Ukrainians, and Ukraine as a nation, we want peace. But this is something Russia must also be willing to contribute to and take responsibility for." Transcript – Iryna Shulikina, Executive Director and Board Member of Vitsche Soundbite 1: “It is a great shame. You cannot support authoritarianism and aggression. You cannot normalize it or praise those responsible for so many deaths as heroes or as equals, because that leads our future and our world nowhere. My message is that people must judge and take responsibility for those actions. I truly believe that Americans — including the U.S. Congress and the president — who are supporting Ukraine will quickly realize and understand that Russia is not a partner with whom you can negotiate.”