What did Zelenskii say in Portugal and in other European countries? See the map | Interactive
The President of Ukraine, speech in videoconference this Thursday in the Republic, at a hearing in which the ministers were also present, the Portuguese Head of State, Minister Marcelo, Government Rebelo de Sousa, and ministers Marcelo, Government Rebelo de Sousa, and ministers. .
Zelenskii began the intervention with denunciations of Russian war crimes, recounting events of the last few days. Contrary to what he did in interventions in legislative bodies in other countries, he did not contain himself in the studies that were found and those that are on the ground in Ukrainian territory. Where Russia began a few days ago that, for which it has war, the request for heavy weaponry, one that Zelensky Ukraine repels as Russian onslaughts.
“The occupiers killed just for fun, they tortured, raped, killed those people and shot them in the middle of the cars where there were children.”
The first approximation to the Portuguese reality was made with a reference to the reality of the city of Porto, which the Ukrainian leader used to emphasize the number of Ukrainians who say they were kidnapped by the Russians.
“We are fighting not for our independence, but for our survival. The Russians have already kidnapped more than 500,000 people, twice the city of Porto, who were deported to the most distant regions of Russia, in remote camps, some are killed, girls are raped, killed.”
Further on, he spoke of Lisbon, which he compared to the size of Mariupol, destroyed by constant Russian bombing.
“The city of Mariupol is as big as Lisbon. It was close to the sea and is totally destroyed. In Mariupol there is only one house that is not whole, it was completely burned down. For over a month, the Russian occupiers surrounded this city and made hell. Many people were left without water, without food.”
The 25th of April was the moment in the history of Portugal that Zelenskii interpreted in the speech, aligning the Ukrainian aspirations of fighting for freedom with the Revolution of 1974.
“Your people, from here, we celebrate the anniversary of the Carnations who also freed you from the dictatorship, the revolution that we are feeling. You know what other peoples are feeling, especially in our region – where there was freedom.”
The Ukrainian leader appealed for Portugal’s support in the various aspects of humanitarian aid, from armaments to diplomacy, thanking all the help that Portugal has given to the Ukrainians. He asked that Portugal also have an active voice with the other Portuguese-speaking countries in the search for international support for Ukraine.
In the final moments of the intervention, Zelenskii also asked for Portuguese support in the Ukrainian candidacy to the European Union, reinforcing the common values between Portugal and Ukraine – and ended the speech with “saudade”.
“Our peoples get along very well (…) [da Europa]. However, our views are the same and we know that a rule must exist in Europe, from end to end. Rules, rights and values must be the same, without dictatorship, so that anyone can have their own time for happiness and nostalgia.”