On May 9, 2024 in Kyiv, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, addressed the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and met with its President Ruslan Stefanchuk.
President Zelensky
Presidents Metsola and Zelenskyy discussed Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations, the upcoming peace summit in Switzerland and the European Parliament’s support for President Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace plan, air defense , sanctions against Russia and the use of profits from frozen Russian assets for the defense and recovery of Ukraine.
President Metsola was awarded the Order of Merit First Class by President Zelenskyy.
Presidents Zelensky and Metsola spoke to the press after their meeting. President Metsola said:
“The European Parliament will help Ukraine in every possible way to take all the necessary steps on its European path. We will continue to speak out more than ever on Ukraine, as my visit today also demonstrates.”
“This year marks the 20th anniversary of the accession of my home country, Malta, and with it nine other Member States, to the European Union. I have seen the transformative effect of the enlargement of the European Union. The opportunities and security that come with it. As the Ukrainian people look to Europe today, with the same sense of hope and faith in our common future as back then, Europe cannot look away.
We will be at your side. You will win and our future will be common. Ukrainian Slava!
You can watch the recording of the press conference here.
Verkhovna Rada
In the afternoon, President Metsola met with Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and addressed the Rada plenary session.
In her speech to the Rada, President Metsola said:
On Ukraine and Europe:
“Ukraine made its European choice and Europe made its Ukrainian choice. This is the real victory that we will celebrate together every May 9. Today.
On this day we celebrate Europe. And there is no better or more meaningful place to do it than here – where the spirit of Europe is present in your cities, in your villages and engraved in the courage of your people.
The challenge to Ukraine, your courage, your strength embody what it means to be European.”
On three promises made to Ukraine:
“The last time I was in this Assembly, I made three promises to you, promises that I am proud to say that the European Union, the European Parliament, has kept.
Over the past two years, we have resolutely and resolutely resisted Putin’s intimidation tactics and cut off our dependencies on Russia. We have adopted 13 sets of tough sanctions against Putin and his allies, …. meaning that hundreds of billions of euros of Russian assets are now frozen in the EU.
I promised that Europe would open its borders, its homes and its hearts to your families, to your children, to your loved ones, forced to flee. …We said we would help you rebuild your cities, your towns, your villages. The adoption of Ukraine’s €50 billion facility constitutes our most recent concrete support in this regard.
I also told you that you can count on me in the European Parliament to recognize Ukraine’s European aspirations and to support you in your progress towards your country’s integration into the EU. … The European Parliament was the first EU institution to push for Ukraine to be granted candidate country status and for accession negotiations to start last year. … It is as much about stability for Ukraine as it is about strengthening the EU as a whole. … Ukraine’s place is within the European Union.”
On peace:
“Europe will always defend peace. A true peace with dignity, integrity, freedom, territorial sovereignty. And we know that there can never be anything in Ukraine without Ukraine. I mentioned earlier the return of Ukrainian children, which means we also need to urgently focus on food security and the safety of nuclear power plants. These are the building blocks of humanity.
You can read the full speech here and watch it here.
President Stefanchuk unveiled President Metsola’s March of the Brave plaque at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Program in Kyiv
In kyiv, President Metsola visited a school and a power plant, both destroyed by Russia’s ruthless airstrikes. Indiscriminate targeting of civilian infrastructure demonstrates the urgent need for more effective air defense systems and funding for reconstruction. In her press remarks with President Zelensky, President Metsola said:
“We are painfully aware that Ukraine urgently needs more air defense equipment and systems to defend itself against the aggressor. We Europeans must act. We must take responsibility, step up our support and provide our financial support.
This is why our decision on Ukraine’s €50 billion facility was so important. And I also welcome the more recent decision by the United States to provide vital and significant financial and military support to Ukraine. Together, this provides predictable and secure funding to meet the state’s needs and the demands of its rebuilding efforts.
President Metsola also addressed the International Summit of Cities and Regions, alongside President Zelensky, President Stefanchuk and Prime Minister Shmyhal, highlighting the role of cooperation between regions and cities in Ukraine’s reconstruction . In her speech, she thanked European cities and regions for making significant contributions to the Generators of Hope campaign, initiated by the European Parliament, as well as the importance of cities and regions in welcoming Ukrainians who had to flee the war.
You can look at his address here.
President Metsola also visited the Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, where she delivered a keynote speech and held a discussion with students. The University awarded him an honorary doctorate.
Later in the day, the President visited the Center for the Protection of Child Rights. One of its many goals is the return of the more than 19,500 Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia. In her speech to the Rada, President Metsola said: “We must strengthen our resolve to return every Ukrainian child to their family, to their own home. »
All audiovisual material for the visit will be available on the European Parliament Multimedia Center.
Background:
From the start of the illegal invasion of Ukraine, the European Parliament has been Ukraine’s strongest supporter, being the first EU institution to call for Ukraine to be granted candidate status. EU and, later, to open accession negotiations.
The European Parliament held an extraordinary plenary session on March 1, 2022, during which President Zelensky addressed the world via video link. President Zelensky addressed Parliament in person on February 9, 2023.
President Metsola was the first leader of the European institutions to visit kyiv after the Russian attack, on April 1, 2022, addressing the Verkhovna Rada. She also traveled to Lviv on March 4, 2023 to speak at the United for Justice conference.
Lien source
Originally published in The European Times.
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