“An extraordinary moment in extraordinary times,” said Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, about Zelensky’s presence. Last year, he made his first foreign visit to the United States, and earlier this week he was in London.
Metsola stated that since the illegal Russian invasion of sovereign Ukraine, Zelensky’s leadership has inspired “every corner of the world.” “When the world thinks of Ukraine, they think of heroes who take up the fight, of David defeating Goliath.
They think of the icons of Snake Island, the warriors of Mariupol, the liberators of so many occupied cities and villages. Their names will be spoken of for generations,” Metsola said.
She emphasized that the Ukrainian people have persevered for Europe and said that Europe must honor this sacrifice not only with words but also with deeds: “With the political will to facilitate trade and with the fastest possible accession process. With financial support for your people, with help for reconstruction, with training for your troops. With military equipment and defense systems, you must win,” Metsola told Zelensky.
He thanked the European Parliament and Europeans for their support of his country in “this historic struggle” against Russia. He also said that Ukrainians are defending Europe alongside Europe against what he called ‘the most anti-European power of the modern world.’ Zelensky highlighted the importance of European values and described Ukraine’s European path as “the way home for our people.”