German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Sunday in Aachen, in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, that Ukraine “is part of the European family.”
“The war has made people all over Europe aware of one thing: Ukraine is part of our European family,” Scholz said as he presented Zelensky with the International Charlemagne Prize, which he and the people of Ukraine Ukraine.
“Russia’s war of aggression has brought the European Union and Ukraine closer than ever,” added the German leader.
According to the organizers, the award recognizes that his resistance to the Russian invasion is a defense “not only of the sovereignty of his country and the lives of its citizens, but also of Europe and European values.”
Present at the ceremony, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that Zelensky and the Ukrainian people “fight for the values and obligation that this award represents.”
“In doing so, you are also fighting for our own freedom and our values. Democracy and the rule of law, freedom of expression and the freedom to create your own destiny,” he added.
After official talks in Berlin, Zelensky and Scholz traveled together to Aachen, in western Germany, for the award ceremony.
While German leaders have expressed strong support for Ukraine, German voters are divided on whether the country should provide more weapons, particularly advanced fighter jets of the type Kiev is asking its allies for.
The EU granted kyiv official candidate status in June 2022, but calls for further reforms, particularly in the fight against corruption.
Brussels estimates EU membership talks will take six to 10 years from the start, while kyiv aims for faster integration.
Source: TSF
