Putin, Zelensky among world leaders wishing US happy 4th of July on its 250th birthday

Even countries locked in a bloody war took a moment to cozy up to the US on its 250th birthday.Among the world leaders who posted notes of gratitude Saturday was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who compared the America’s fight for independence to his country’s battle for survival against Russia.Ukrainians were fighting for “our people’s right to happiness with much the same hope, the same purpose, and the same determination with which Americans won and defended their own independence,” he said.Zelensky, who endured a tense Oval Office standoff with President Trump last year, thanked him for American Patriots — not the heroes of 1776, but the sophisticated missiles that defend Ukraine from relentless Russian missile and drone attacks.His message comes as Ukraine has fired drone attacks deep into Russian territory and sustained deadly strikes across its own capital city.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-gove...