Ukrainians “very grateful” to Portugal for sending arms | War in Ukraine
The ambassador of Ukraine to Portugal on Sunday thanked Portugal for sending arms to her country “to help fight the Russian invasion. “We are very, very grateful,” she told PÚBLICO Inna Ohnivets.
The Ministry of Defense revealed on Saturday night “at the request of the Ukrainian authorities”, Portugal military equipment such as vests, helmets, night goggles, grenades and caliber ammunition, complete different portable radios, repeaters of the automatic version of the G3 cameras”.
“The information was given to me yesterday [sábado] in the evening. Portugal will help fight Russia by sending weapons,” the ambassador told PÚBLICO at the end of the first Sunday mass in Lisbon after the invasion of her country by Vladimir Putin’s troops.
“I have once again to thank Portugal and the Portuguese people for this support. Ukraine is very grateful in Portugal”, added de Arroios to the Church of São Jorge.
The ambassador already had human and military support for Portugal on the 24th when Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in Belém.
Inna Ohnts also revealed to the PUBLIC that Carlos Moedas, the Mayor of Lisbon, has already made himself available to all Ukrainians who want to come to Portugal following the Russian invasion. “Now we will study the type of support that we are being helped, but we have the guarantee of”, she said.
At the end of the mass at the Church of Arroios, the ambassador went up to the pulpit to address the more than 10 Ukrainians who filled the church. “Putin wants to eliminate Ukraine as an independent and democratic state. We have, here in Portugal, those we are fighting in our land. We will resist with the support of the Portuguese and we will win”, she told her compatriots.
A study group will also be created, which were designated to work with Ukrainians who identify with the importance of fleeing in Portugal.
The president of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal, Palo Sadoka, said he still does not have an idea of how many Ukrainians will seek refuge in Portugal, but he believes that “there will be many”.
On Saturday Augusto Santos Silva, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in an interview with CNN, said that “they may come from thousands of pasts” of Ukrainians to Portugal.