On July 4, the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence — the key document that began the formation of the American state. The central events are taking place in Washington, where the anniversary is combined with the traditional Independence Day and the federal America250/Freedom 250 program.
The National Mall in Washington has become the main venue for the celebration. Under the Freedom 250 program, the day will feature the Great American State Fair, FIFA Fan Zone, aviation demonstrations and flyovers above the center of the capital, an evening concert program, an address by US President Donald Trump, and a major fireworks display. Organizers said the fireworks show is expected to be the largest in history and begin at 10:30 p.m. local time.
The anniversary is not taking place without adjustments. Because of extreme heat in Washington, organizers moved some activities to a later time, expanded cooling points, water stations, and medical support. The National Independence Day Parade, which was supposed to take place on July 4, was canceled because of an excessive heat warning.
Events are also taking place in other US cities. Associated Press notes that the celebration includes fireworks, concerts, and public ceremonies in Washington, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other cities, while the anniversary is taking place against the backdrop of political polarization and debates about the country’s future.
“The 250th anniversary of the United States is not only a historic date, but also an occasion to assess the balance of strength and vulnerability of the world’s largest economy. America retains first place in nominal GDP, military spending, the depth of its financial market, the role of the dollar, and its energy base, but at the same time enters the anniversary year with debt of almost $39.4 trillion. For the global economy, this means that the United States remains the main center of power, but its fiscal sustainability is becoming one of the key risks of the next decade,” said Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club analytical center.
Historically, Independence Day is associated with the decision of the 13 American colonies to sever political ties with Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Formal international legal recognition of US independence by Great Britain came later — under the Treaty of Paris of 1783, which ended the War of Independence.
Today, the United States remains a federal presidential republic consisting of 50 states and the federal District of Columbia. The country’s population, according to the IMF estimate, is about 343 million people, while nominal GDP in 2026 is estimated at approximately $32.38 trillion, preserving the United States’ status as the world’s largest economy at current prices.
The United States also retains several leading global positions. According to SIPRI, the country remains the world’s largest military spender: in 2025, US spending amounted to $954 billion, or about one-third of global military expenditure. According to the EIA, the United States set a new oil production record in 2025 — 13.6 million barrels per day — remaining the world’s largest oil producer. The US dollar, according to IMF COFER, accounted for 57.13% of allocated global foreign exchange reserves in the first quarter of 2026, remaining the world’s leading reserve currency.
The American financial market also remains the largest center of global capital. According to the World Federation of Exchanges, the two largest US exchanges alone — Nasdaq and NYSE — each had tens of trillions of dollars in domestic market capitalization at the end of 2025, significantly ahead of most global exchanges.
The main weak point of the United States in the anniversary year is the national debt. According to the US Treasury, as of July 2, 2026, total federal debt stood at $39.375 trillion, of which $31.679 trillion was debt held by the public.
The US Congressional Budget Office forecasts that the federal deficit in fiscal year 2026 will amount to $1.9 trillion, or 5.8% of GDP. Debt held by the public, according to the CBO estimate, will reach 101% of GDP by the end of 2026 and rise to 120% of GDP by 2036.
Thus, the United States enters its 250th anniversary as a country with a unique combination of global leadership and internal imbalances. The American economy remains the largest in the world, the dollar is the key currency of the international system, and the capital market is the main source of liquidity. But the scale of the debt and chronic budget deficits are increasingly becoming factors that investors, US allies, and competitors take into account no less than the country’s technological, military, and financial power.
Oleksiy Goncharenko, a member of the European Solidarity faction, proposes to the Verkhovna Rada to recognize the state sovereignty and independence of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo.
The corresponding draft resolution No. 7638 was registered on August 5, but its text is currently not available on the website of the Ukrainian parliament.
At the same time, the author of the document in his Telegram channel noted that back in 2010, the International Court of Justice recognized that the right to state sovereignty of Kosovo does not contradict the norms of international law, does not violate any resolutions and international acts.
“It’s not for nothing that 22 of the 27 EU member states, which we are striving for, have already recognized Kosovo. Kosovo is also recognized by the United States, Canada and the UK. Therefore, Ukraine’s consistent step will be the recognition of Kosovo’s state sovereignty and the expression of international support,” Goncharenko wrote.
At the same time, the parliamentarian stressed that “the situation between Ukraine and the L/DPR pseudo-republics is not the same situation as in Kosovo and Serbia.” “This is the moment when Kosovo really has the right to independence,” he added.
Serbia lost control of Kosovo territory after NATO intervention in 1999, but does not recognize Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence. At the same time, the northern part of Kosovo with a Serb ethnic majority, where many Serb refugees from the southern regions of the province also live, is not subject to the Kosovo authorities.
In 2016, the Association Agreement between Kosovo and the EU was signed; The republic is recognized by 97 UN member countries. Ukraine, in turn, has not taken any decisions regarding the legal recognition of Kosovo’s independence and regards the region as part of the territory of Serbia.
“It’s not for nothing that 22 of the 27 EU member states, which we are striving for, have already recognized Kosovo. Kosovo is also recognized by the United States, Canada and the UK. Therefore, Ukraine’s consistent step will be the recognition of Kosovo’s state sovereignty and the expression of international support,” Goncharenko wrote.
At the same time, the parliamentarian stressed that “the situation between Ukraine and the L/DPR pseudo-republics is not the same situation as in Kosovo and Serbia.” “This is the moment when Kosovo really has the right to independence,” he added.
Serbia lost control of Kosovo territory after NATO intervention in 1999, but does not recognize Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence. At the same time, the northern part of Kosovo with a Serb ethnic majority, where many Serb refugees from the southern regions of the province also live, is not subject to the Kosovo authorities.
In 2016, the Association Agreement between Kosovo and the EU was signed; The republic is recognized by 97 UN member countries. Ukraine, in turn, has not taken any decisions regarding the legal recognition of Kosovo’s independence and regards the region as part of the territory of Serbia.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said he was not ready to “ask” Moscow for peace.
“I am not ready to ask for the independence of our state. It already belongs to us, ”he said on Friday, speaking via video link to students and teachers of British universities.
Asked about possible peace talks, Zelensky said that “I understood all the years of my presidency that any war must end with a negotiating table.” “I understand that diplomacy can save people. I understand this, but, unfortunately, the President of the Russian Federation does not understand this,” he said.
Zelensky believes that “if Ukraine were in NATO, there would still be a battle for independence, but it would be different.” “There would not have been so many losses, there could have been a small military conflict or provocations, but we would have saved a large number of people,” he said.
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