Russia refrained from sending well wishes to the U.S. to mark its Independence Day holiday amid a strained relationship between both countries due to Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

On Monday, VOA quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that congratulations “can hardly be considered appropriate” and cited what he called the “unfriendly policies” of the United States.

However, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky sent words of “peace and prosperity” to U.S. President Joe Biden and the American people on Monday.

“Happy Independence Day to the people of [the U.S.] and @POTUS!” Mr Zelensky tweeted.  “I wish the friendly people of [the U.S.] peace and prosperity. I appreciate the leadership assistance of the United States in Ukraine’s defending of common values – Freedom, Democracy and Independence.”

Ukraine’s Air Force also shared a video of the military orchestra of the U.S. army performing the national anthem, captioning it: “Happy Independence Day, #USA.”

Washington has given $6.9 billion in security aid to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began, opposing Russia’s war in Ukraine since its inception on February 24.

The U.S. has been at the forefront of sending weapons, helping train Ukrainian forces and also imposing sanctions against Moscow.