Status: 09.02.2023 12:20 p.m
Ukrainian President Zelensky has renewed his country’s desire to join the EU. In front of the EU Parliament, he emphasized European cohesion in the fight for liberal values.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the European Union for its support in the war against Russia. In an emotional speech in front of the EU Parliament in Brussels, he said: “You made brave decisions.”
The 45-year-old said that the applause of the deputies in the plenum was not aimed at himself, but at everyone in the towns and villages who supported Ukraine.
“Defending the European-Ukrainian way of life”
Zelenskyy stressed that his goal was to bring Ukraine into the European Union and thus “back home”. He is in Brussels to pave the way for the Ukrainians. There are different stories, but there is also a common European history. Europe and its free way of life are threatened by a “dictator,” he said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia is trying to destroy the European way of life with its war of aggression. Ukraine, along with Europe, is defending itself against “the greatest anti-European force in the modern world.” It is about defending the European-Ukrainian way of life, said Zelenskyj. The answer must be: “We stand up against this anti-European force.”
The prerequisites for this are peace and security. A victory for Ukraine will ensure this. Ukraine will fight for that. It is not just a war over territories, the Russian government is fighting diversity and promoting xenophobia. “We will not allow that,” assured Zelenskyj. “Europe will be and remain Europe as long as we stand together and as long as we stand together and as long as we take care of our Europe as we take care of our European way of life.”
He thanked for the supply of weapons and ammunition, of fuel and energy, of all the thousands of things “we need in this brutal war”.
EU candidate status of Ukraine
Shortly after the start of the war, the EU Parliament voted in favor of Ukraine’s candidate status for the EU. “This is the vision that encouraged us to remain strong and not to lose our way,” stressed the Ukrainian President. He will reform Ukraine, his country will become part of the EU.
Europe will always stay together “as long as we take care of the European way of life”. Ukraine wants to start negotiations for EU membership later this year, but the 27 member states must decide unanimously on this.
Topic overview
war in Ukraine
Metsola promotes fighter jet delivery
Parliament Speaker Roberta Metsola also emphasized that Ukraine is fighting for European values: “The future of your nation is in the European Union,” Metsola said to Zelenskyy. She underlined the importance of fighter jet deliveries to Ukraine.
“Now, as a next step, states must consider rapidly deploying long-range systems and aircraft.” These would be needed to protect the freedom that too many would have taken for granted. “Our response must be appropriate to the threat – and the threat is existential.”
Meeting with Sunak, Macron and Scholz
After the speech in Parliament, Zelenskyy is expected to attend a summit meeting with the heads of state and government of the 27 EU countries. Zelenskyj’s trip abroad is only the second since the Russian invasion on February 24 last year. In December he was in the USA after a stopover in Poland.
Zelenskyj’s current journey began on Wednesday in Great Britain, where he also met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles III. met. In the evening he met French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Paris.
Selenskyj asks for fighter jets
During the visits, Selenskyj asked the West for more weapons – including fighter jets. In Paris he said: “It’s about weapons that are necessary for peace. The war that Russia has unleashed must be stopped.” Selenskyj had previously advertised fighter jets in Great Britain.
Scholz promised support as long as necessary. He also assured that Ukraine is part of the European family. Macron promised “support until victory”. The two did not respond to the demands for fighter jets in brief statements before the start of the meeting in the Elysée Palace.