At the delivery of the Charlemagne Prize, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his call for his country to join the EU and NATO. “The EU will not be complete without Ukraine,” he said at the ceremony in Aachen on Sunday night. There are also no rational reasons to deny Ukraine membership in NATO. Here he represents the Ukrainians who fought for their freedom and for the values of Europe.
“Each one of them deserves to be here.” Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine wanted nothing more than peace – but that could only be won in the current conflict with a victory. The war in Ukraine will also decide the fate of Europe, because Russia wants to undo the history of European unification. Russia is “capable of any cruelty and meanness.”
The Ukrainian president urged Western allies to continue supplying weapons. This is the only way to stop Russian aggression. “Ukraine will win, Europe will win, peace will win,” emphasized Zelenskyy at the end of his speech.
After Germany, Zelenskyy visits France
After his visit to Germany, Zelenskyy will arrive in Paris on Sunday night. French President Emmanuel Macron wanted to host him for a working dinner, announced the Élysée Palace.
German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz described awarding the Charlemagne Prize to Zelenskyy and his people as a prelude to growing together in Europe. In his eulogy on Sunday in Aachen, the SPD politician also mentioned the Western Balkan states, Moldova “and in the long term also Georgia”, as well as Ukraine.
“If Vladimir Putin believed he could use force to divert the Ukrainian nation from its path to Europe, then he – with all his tanks, drones and rocket launchers – has done nothing but the opposite,” Scholz said, according to with the transcription of the speech. “Your will for freedom and your resilience in dark times bring hope and your will for freedom and your resilience in dark times bring hope and inspiration far beyond Ukraine. Ahead of all Ukrainian people, you stand up for the values that Europe stands for. for.”
“They fight for freedom, humanity and peace”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen paid tribute to the Ukrainian people. “They are literally fighting for freedom, humanity and peace,” she said Sunday in Aachen, according to a transcript of the speech. With their blood and their lives, they secured the future of their children and ours, said Germany’s top politician. Zelenskyy has the unconditional belief that those who fight for something are always stronger than those who want to impose their yoke on others.
She also recalled her first trip to Ukraine after the war broke out. “I saw the mass graves next to the church, the body bags next to each other,” she said, referring to her visit to the Kiev suburb of Bucha, which was occupied by Russian troops in the spring of 2022 and where the bodies of hundreds of civilians were later found. “I will never forget the image of countless candles,” she emphasized. Each one represented the life of a father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister who was meaninglessly extinguished.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki praised Zelenskyy as a defender of European values. Morawiecki said he was “a great European leader”, a “hero” and an outstanding statesman of the 21st century. “President Zelenskyy is a role model for all politicians.” Russia’s “barbarian attacks”, on the other hand, are the antithesis of the free Europe being defended by Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s participation is uncertain for a long time
In his speech, Morawiecki quoted French Foreign Minister and pioneer of European unification, Robert Schuman, who said that a united Europe should, in principle, be open to all democratic European countries. Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is one of Zelenskyy’s most important goals.
The Charlemagne Prize for Services to European Unification was awarded this year to Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people for their defense of European values in repelling the Russian war of aggression.
Zelenskyy’s participation in the ceremony in Aachen was uncertain for months. The country’s president, defending himself from Russia’s war of aggression, is considered to be very threatened. The ceremony at the town hall in Aachen is accompanied by extremely strict security requirements. 700 guests are invited. The Charlemagne Prize commemorates Charlemagne (748-814). Aachen was his main residence.
Austrian Greens congratulated Ukraine on receiving the Charlemagne Prize. “The future of the country and its people clearly lies in Europe. The courage and determination with which Ukrainians stand up for freedom, democracy and self-determination against an authoritarian aggressor not only inspire deep respect, but also bring the rest of Europe closer together. “, said Greens spokeswoman for foreign policy, Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, according to the broadcast. The award is as conclusive as it is deserved. (apa)