The mayor of kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, reaffirmed this Tuesday, in Lisbon, the claim that Russia’s war against Ukraine aims to destroy the Ukrainian people.
“It is not a special operation, it is not a war, it is genocide, it is terrorism,” Klitschko said when addressing the Lisbon City Council (CML) after receiving the city’s key of honor.
Klitschko said he did not have an estimate of civilian and military casualties for the war that began on February 24, 2022, only that “there are thousands and thousands,” and highlighted the destruction of the country’s infrastructure.
“kyiv is not on the front line, but there are 800 destroyed buildings in the city,” he said of his city and the capital of Ukraine.
Klischko said the war had destroyed Ukraine’s economy and renewed his call on the European Union (EU) to help rebuild the country after the war. “We are waiting for the help of our friends and for entry into the EU, but for now we have to fight for our freedom,” he said.
On a day of NATO expansion – Finland became its 31st member on Tuesday – Vitali Klitschko hails the growth of the alliance, which “was once part of Russia”.
And with Putin determined, Klitschko argues, to “rebuild the Russian empire,” the mayor sees NATO membership as a “good” step for Finland and for the “security of the European Union.”
The last time the Ukrainian was in Lisbon was “four years ago, with a ‘special’ and musical mission.” As a host of Eurovision, I brought the key from kyiv to Lisbon to give the key to our city to the place where the biggest music event is – Portugal!”
Now the gesture has been reversed. He received the key to Lisbon from the two drivers who brought the first trucks with humanitarian aid to kyiv and Coins remembered the day he met them.
It is about a father “who arrived in Portugal 20 years ago, a Portuguese who is Ukrainian and is from Lisbon” and his son Anton, a “20-year-old young driver” who, together, caused the Portuguese mayor “enormous pride to be mayor of Lisbon”.
Source: TSF
