On August 24th, 2026, Ukraine celebrated its 35th year of reclaimed independence, against all odds and in the face of seemingly endless violence. For Palestine, independence remains an aspiration, a dream undeterred by the accelerating brutality of the occupation. While often pitted against each other on the political arena, Ukrainians and Palestinians have so much more in common, including their ongoing struggles against colonialism and imperialism. In this article, Arab America contributing writer Rami Balin discusses Ukrainian-Palestinian solidarity and the connections forged by people, not governments.