On Sunday, May 14, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Aachen received the Charlemagne Prize. The ceremony was attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
It was reported by the German edition of Deutsche Welle.
"We know what power, will for democracy your people have," Olaf Scholz said in a congratulatory speech.
After that, the German Chancellor said in Ukrainian: "Ukraine is here! Ukraine is Europe! Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!"
In addition, Scholz stressed that Zelenskyy absolutely implemented the slogan that he chose for his political force - Servant of the People.
At the same time, Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki emphasized that the first hours of the Russian invasion of Ukraine showed that Zelenskyy turned out to be a great hero.
"He is one of the greatest international leaders of the 21st century. His bravery reminded EU leaders of the importance of sovereignty and independence. These are the values that peoples in the 21st century are still ready to shed their blood. If not for his heroic attitude, today the EU would share a very long section of the border with Russia. According to him, thanks to the position of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, neither our region nor the whole of Europe can be destabilized," the prime minister said.
He noted that the war in Ukraine is an opportunity for Europe to think about how to return to the foundations of a united Europe. He stressed that solidarity with Ukraine is now important.
"The EU must confront Russia, fight it, because it denies Europe and the values that we profess," said the head of the Polish government.
He noted that Sunday's ceremony is another signal of Ukraine's gradual approach to integration into the European family.
"Europe will be fully united only when Ukraine becomes a full member. I know that this is your dream and our desire to bring it to life," he said.
It is worth noting that the international prize of Charlemagne is awarded to individuals and organizations that contribute to the promotion of European unity.
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