President Volodymyr Zelensky marked the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence on Monday, Aug. 24, declaring the country will “always” remain sovereign.The Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine was adopted by parliament in 1991, following the failed Soviet coup – also known as the “August Coup.” During the short-lived attempt to seize power, Communist Party officials placed then-President Mikhail Gorbachev under house arrest.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“There is no doubt about it,” Zelensky said in a statement. “Ukrainians will not submit to what they do not believe in, and they certainly will not abandon their dream – the dream of living, the dream of living independently.”Rejecting submissionZelensky used the anniversary to reject framing Ukraine’s sovereignty as a matter of negotiation between larger powers.“Ukrainians will not be paving stones beneath the feet of tsars and leaders,” he said, adding that Ukrainians will not be “a bargaining chip in disputes between capitals” either.State awards given to soldiers and civiliansIn a separate statement posted to his Telegram shortly afterward, Zelensky said the anniversary was also marked with state honors for those who have sustained Ukraine’s existence through the war.“In honor of our greatest national holiday, we are presenting Ukrainian state awards to those without whom Ukraine would not exist, ” he said, honoring soldiers and fallen civilians posthumously.He also awarded battle flags and ribbons of the distinction “For Courage and Valor” to military units.