“Show us that you are on our side, that you will not leave us alone, so life will win over darkness. Glory to Ukraine”: this is how Volodymyr Zelens’kyj, president of the Ukrainian Republic, ended his speech to the plenary session of the European Parliament, gathered in Brussels. President Zelens’kyj was speaking from Kiev, he looked worn out but determined to lead his country on despite Russia’s and Belarus’s aggression. “I am glad to see European countries’ unity, but I didn’t know such a high price had to be paid to have it”. Zelens’kyj described how things are going on in his country, he spoke of thousands of people killed after five days of Russia’s military invasion. “I am not reading a written speech, this is no time for written speeches”, he stated. “This is a new phase: people are being killed, and we are giving our lives for values, for freedom, for the wish to be free. We will overcome all this, I’m sure we will”. “16 Ukrainian children were killed yesterday”, President Zelens’kyj said, “yet Putin speaks of military targets”. Then, he urged the European Union again to support his country and reminded it of Ukraine’s request to join the EU.
Along the same lines was the speech given, also remotely, by Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, who asked the EU not to leave Ukraine alone and to insist with economic sanctions. “We are defending the borders of Europe and of civilisation”, the president of Kiev’s Rada said.