Ukrainian President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people are to be honoured in Aachen with the Charlemagne Prize for services to the unity of Europe. © Federico Gambarini/dpa-Pool/dpa
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has thanked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his people for defending common European values. In his laudatory speech at the presentation of the Charlemagne Prize on Sunday in Aachen, the SPD politician recalled how Zelensky had reaffirmed the resistance with powerful words on the morning of the Russian attack.
Aachen - "The president is here. We are all here," Scholz quoted in Ukrainian from Zelensky's first video message, noting: "Rarely in history have such brief words had such a great impact."
It was immediately clear that the Ukrainian people would not give way to Russia's violence, but would resist. "Europe owes a great deal to the Ukrainian people and, very personally, to President Volodymyr Zelensky," Scholz said. The war shows for Ukraine and for the European Union: "We stand together! We belong together! And: Our story will continue together." dpa