Ukraine’s ambassador praises the reception of refugees in Portugal – Current Affairs
“Refugees, here are very possible to use all services and the possibility of using all services”, said Inna Ohnivets to the Lusa agency.
The diplomat, who has been present in the demonstrations in support of Ukraine organized in Portugal, has also participated, in recent months, in initiatives to welcome citizens from Ukraine.
“Our embassy is in constant communication with these people and we are very supportive of the different communications also with the municipalities”, said Inna Ohnivets, giving as an example the municipalities of Cascais, Lisbon and Braga, among others: “The municipal councils are very supportive of refugees Ukrainians”.
In Cascais, he had to contact the people who found refuge there and liked what he saw. “In my opinion, the reception is going well”.
“There are many people who have children and the children study at school. I know there are some problems, but I can also say that the different associations created courses to study the Portuguese language. Portuguese Ukrainians who would like to study the language attend these courses. During my meeting with Ukrainians in Portuguese Cascais, I had a conversation with the Ukrainian girls who told me that they really enjoyed being here and have already started to study the Portuguese language”, outline.
Inna Ohnivets, however, kept the Ukrainian helpers to acquire from the associations and to avoid contacts with “pro-Russian organizations”.
“Here we have very active communication with the Ukrainian associations. Fourteen Ukrainian associations have been operating in Portugal for many years”, he said, noting that all were invited to Thursday’s solemn ceremony in Portuguese, on the occasion of the speech by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, parliament via videoconference.
Portugal contracts over 30,000 requests for protection from residents of Ukraine, with several organizations on the ground supporting them.
According to an ambassador, the dream of many people is to return to the country and rebuild a life interrupted by the war, in the early hours of February 24th.
“Ukrainians who arrived in Portugal have family members in Ukraine, because the men defend Ukraine and are participating in the battles against the Russian invaders. Families have close contacts and telephone conversations with their relatives in Ukraine and many of them would like to return to Ukraine, because as their own homes, they have work and so they have dreams of returning and restoring the life they had before this war”, took Inna Ohnivets, for whom Portugal has been “a true friend”.
Reopening of Portugal’s representation in Kiev would be very important
The reopening of the Portuguese Embassy in Kiev would be an important step towards security in the capital u for more countries to return to Ukraine, an ambassador in Lisbon.
“Other embassies were presented to a Ukrainian ambassador to Portugal, who has been in contact with the Portuguese Government, namely with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho.
Still without information about the diplomatic representation, Inna Ohn defended that it would be an important Portuguese area, after forces that relieve pressure on the capital: In my opinion, this demonstrates security for everyone in Kiev”.
When the Russian invasion will take place, two months later, on February 24, an ambassador revealed that he was working with the Portuguese authorities in order to articulate a visit to Ukraine, the Minister of Foreign Affairs having that interest.
“We will work on this issue, but I have a videoconference with Portugal’s new foreign minister, João Gomes Cravinho, and he has already visited Ukraine last year. He participated in the international conference dedicated to the eviction of Crimea by peaceful means, by diplomatic means, and during our videoconference he said that he would like to visit Ukraine,” said the diplomat, who has been in Portugal since 2015.
“Portugal helps us a lot for our sequel, in the future to continue life, and I hope that the Portuguese Government will support the European perspective as well and support our sequel with the supply of weapons”, he said following the request that the President of the country of Volodymyr Zelensky , addressed the Portuguese authorities when speaking in parliament on Thursday.
From Russia, Inna Ohnivets does not expect regime changes, but believes that, like the European Union, they will make the situation change “little by little”.
“The situation will get worse in Russia. And also a lot of Russians in Ukraine. During this two-month period, more than 20,000 Russian soldiers and generals were killed in Ukraine. The military defends its homeland and the Russian military has the status of invaders, of invaders,” she said when asked about the accident of the conflict.
For an ambassador from Ukraine, Russia today is “much like the Soviet Union” and the Stalin regime: “Putin has restored this regime and that means there is a concentration camp for Russians. That’s why they are afraid to carry out demonstrations of danger, but the Russians who are so clear, why they dared to demonstrate their position against Putin, have a position in reality Russia, showing the real position”.
The Ukrainian Embassy does not maintain any contact with the Russian Embassy, ”a tradition” that has been eight years in the ambassador’s mind since “the illegal annexation of Crimea” in 2014.
Inna Ohnivets sees the mission she represents as “very honorable”, in a state that fights for independence and the preservation of sovereignty. “I would like to do everything possible for our victory”, she confessed.
“I would like to say that the Ukrainian people appreciate the solidarity, all the humanitarian assistance provided to Ukraine, to Ukrainian refugees and that means that they had a true friend, a people with a big and sincere heart. Thank you. Force Portugal and Glory to Ukraine [‘Slava Ukraini’]”, she said in the only moment she opened up during an interview she attended dressed in black and which began with a warning.
There was a need to talk about Mariupol, about the emergency of removing thousands of wounded soldiers “from a terrifying scenario described that is painful”.
* By Ana Mendes Henriques (text) and António Cotrim (photos)