The President of the European Commission paid tribute on Wednesday to the Ukrainian resistance against Russian aggression, in her speech on the State of the Union in Strasbourg, saying that “today courage has a name and that name is Ukraine”.
Dressed in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, blue and yellow, Ursula von der Leyen dedicated the beginning of her speech on the State of the European Union (EU) to the ongoing war in Ukraine, addressing in particular the Ukrainian first lady, Olena Zelenska, guest of honor today at the Strasbourg Chamber.
“Courage has a face, and that face is the face of the Ukrainian men and women who faced Russian aggression,” said the president of the community executive, who particularly welcomed the example set by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife.
“It took immense courage to resist Putin’s cruelty. But you found the courage. Ukraine is strong today because people like your husband, President Zelensky, stayed in kyiv to lead the resistance, along with you and your children. They gave you courage to an entire nation. You gave your people a voice on the world stage. That is why today we want to thank you and all Ukrainians. Glory to a country of European heroes,” he declared.
Proud of the European Union’s “united, determined and immediate response” to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, Von der Leyen stressed that “this is not just a war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine”, it is also a war against values Europeans, against the future of Europe, “is an autocracy against democracy”.
“And I am here with the conviction that, with the necessary courage and with the necessary solidarity, Putin will fail and Ukraine and Europe will prevail,” he said.
Addressing Olena Zelensky, the President of the Commission assured that “the solidarity of the EU with Ukraine will remain intact”.
“I want to make it very clear that sanctions are here to stay. This is the time for us to show determination and not appeasement. This has to be made very clear. The same applies to our financial support to Ukraine,” he said, then announces further aid from 100 million euros for the reconstruction of schools in Ukraine.
After the State of the Union was dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic in the previous two years, this year, in what is Ursula von der Leyen’s third speech, the crisis remains in the background, but now in light of the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine on February 24 and its effects on Europe, especially in economic and energy terms.
Source: TSF
