Lithuania has been and will be together with Ukraine in its struggle, said Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė, speaking at the celebrations on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of Ukraine's Independence in Kyiv on Sophia Square.

"It is a great honor and a great joy for me to be here on this day and celebrate, to testify to the Independence of Ukraine together with the free and invincible Ukrainian people," she said, noting her admiration for the people of Ukraine.

"After all, by defending your land and statehood, you are defending all of us, my homeland - Lithuania, Europe and the entire democratic world. Thank you. I wish you faith, fortitude, and of course, victory," the Lithuanian Prime Minister added.

"I believe that the day of victory will come, and we will celebrate it in Ukrainian Crimea and free and proud Mariupol, that Ukrainians who have found shelter in Lithuania will return and rebuild the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk, that Ukrainian children will return to their homes in Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, that brave defenders, male and female, who will return from the front lines and from captivity will embrace their loved ones, that we will together witness the sentences for all those who committed inhuman war crimes… and for everyone who gave barbaric orders," Šimonytė said. She also expressed confidence that sustainable and lasting peace will come to Ukraine. "And Lithuania has been and will be with Ukraine at every step towards this goal," she said.

"We are doing and will continue to do everything to bring victory closer. The victory of light over darkness, the victory of good over evil, the victory of free people, which we will celebrate together with light, gas and without Russians," Šimonytė concluded her speech, which she proclaimed in Ukrainian.