In a poignant display of unity, even amidst a bloody conflict, nations around the globe paused to celebrate the United States on its milestone 250th birthday.
On Saturday, gratitude poured in from global leaders. Among them was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who drew a parallel between America’s historic struggle for independence and Ukraine’s current fight for survival against Russia.
Zelensky remarked that Ukrainians, much like the early Americans, are striving for the “right to happiness” with a matching intensity of hope, purpose, and determination that propelled the founding fathers to victory and independence.
Reflecting on past tensions, notably his challenging encounter with President Trump in the Oval Office last year, Zelensky expressed gratitude for modern American assistance. His thanks extended not toward the Patriots of 1776, but rather the advanced missile systems currently protecting Ukraine from incessant Russian missile and drone strikes.
Zelensky’s message arrives amid Ukraine’s own military operations, including drone attacks deep into Russian lands, while grappling with continued deadly assaults on its capital.
Russian strongman Vladimir Putin kept his message to the US more personal.
“Donald, I wish you & your loved ones health, well-being & every success, & I wish all citizens of the United States happiness & prosperity,” Putin said in a message to Trump, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
Beyond the battlefield, other world leaders also weighed in.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who has faced his own strains with Trump over the war in Iran and the role of NATO, extended his greetings with an image.
He posted a breathtaking photograph of a glistening Statue of Liberty — a gift from France in 1884 — while the aerobatic Patrouille de France flew overhead, with the air and space force jets releasing red, white and blue smoke.
The Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV issued a lengthy statement Friday expressing “heartfelt congratulations” on the United States anniversary he called “that defining moment” in the nation’s history.
The pontiff said it gave “enduring voice to the ideals of liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, justice and democratic self-government.”
He also mentioned “safeguarding human life from its beginning at conception” as well as “welcoming, protecting and assisting immigrants.”
King Charles, in a message to Trump and the American people from the royal family, noted “centuries of shared challenge and achievement” between the two nations.
Charles, who brought the house down during his April state visit when he joked that “if it weren’t for us, you’d be speaking French,” said he had no doubt “we will continue to defend our shared values” over the next 250 years.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was more succinct. “Happy 4th July to our American friends on this historic anniversary,” she said, honoring a “partnership that spans the Atlantic.”
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, who had an extraordinary spat with Trump over Iran and las blasted him for “constant, unprovoked attacks,” visited the US embassy in Rome last week and hailed the bond between the two nations while speaking before a large American flag.
She called the US and Italy “sister nations, united by a special relationship that grows stronger day after day and clearly owes a great deal to the more than 20 million Italian-Americans who have contributed to the prosperity of the United States for generations.”
She even brought up times “when our points of view may not be perfectly aligned” but said “our ties are based on loyalty, mutual respect, willingness and an awareness that the strength of one is also automatically the strength of the other.”