Zelensky is pushing for weekly sanctions packages against Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Norwegian parliament on Wednesday that Russia wanted to “destroy the foundations of Europe” and asked for more support.
Zelenskyi said Ukraine’s losses were “enormous” as “tens of thousands of homes were destroyed, dozens of towns and villages were burned and millions of people were deprived of the opportunity to live normally”.
He added that 145 children have been killed since the Russian invasion began. The actual number is likely much higher, he said.
“It’s likely we lost hundreds,” he said. “Think about it, hundreds of kids. Just kids.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is “one of the greatest threats to international security since World War II,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the current “war” is not limited to Ukraine’s borders.
“We don’t share borders with you, but we do have a common neighbor who denies all of our shared values,” he said. “For the Russian state in its present state, neither freedom of nations nor freedom of human affairs.”
Zelensky thanked Norway for its support but urged it to do more.
He called for more weapons, especially anti-ship weapons, including Harpoon missiles, air defense systems and weapons to destroy armored vehicles and artillery systems.
“Liberty must be armed no worse than tyranny,” he said.
He also pushed for more sanctions against Russia, saying new sanctions packages must be “rolled in on a weekly basis without a break.”
“The stronger they are, the sooner we will restore peace,” he said.
Zelenskyy called on Norwegian companies to stop supporting Russia, mentioned a ban on Russian ships from calling at European ports and called on Norway, a major energy supplier, to contribute to Europe’s energy security.
Finally, he urged Norway to invest in rebuilding Ukraine after the invasion ended.
“We must do everything to ensure that a rock like Ukraine is always with Europe,” said Zelenskyy.