On behalf of the Ukrainian nation, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received the prestigious Charlemagne prize on Sunday for his services to Europe. This was the culmination of a trip to Germany during which he obtained new military assistance and warm support from Berlin.
Zelenskiy and Chancellor Olaf Scholz flew from Berlin to Aachen, a western city in Germany. The ceremony was held in the Coronation Room of the Aachen Town Hall, and Zelenskiy received a standing applause.
Zelenskiy spoke in English, before switching to Ukrainian and addressing the group that included European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen as well as Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
He said: “Ukraine proposes a win not only in this war, but also a win over aggression, annexations and deportations against the catastrophe of genocide anywhere around the world.”
Scholz, speaking at the same event in Berlin, stressed Germany’s support for Ukrainian aspirations of joining the European Union. He had previously avoided a question about Kyiv’s quick accession to NATO.
Scholz stated that “Vladimir Putin thought he could stop the Ukrainians from heading to Europe by using violence. But all of his tanks, drones, and rocket launchers had the exact opposite effect.”
On Saturday, the German government announced its largest package of military assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion.
Aachen is the home of Emperor Charlemagne (often called “the father of Europe”), who united much of Western Europe in the first nine centuries.
In a press release, the committee for awarding prizes said that under Zelenskiy, Ukrainians are not only fighting for their country, but also “for Europe and European Values”.
The committee was convinced that Ukraine “deserved to enter quickly into accession talks with the European Union”.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron are among the previous recipients.
