President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen took part in the unveiling of a symbolic plaque on the Walk of the Brave on Constitution Square in Kyiv dedicated to the European leader.
"In times of war, we gather on this square not by a coincidence, as here are the names of world leaders who supported our state, our people, our economy and during this war stood by our side against the aggression of the Russian Federation. I would like the name of the honorable President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to appear on this Walk today," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during the ceremonial unveiling of the plaque.
The Ukrainian President also presented the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise of the 1st degree to the President of the European Commission. Ursula von der Leyen received it for significant personal merits in strengthening interstate cooperation, support of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and a significant contribution to the popularization of the Ukrainian state in the world.
The President of the European Commission thanked Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the awards and emphasized that she was happy to be in Kyiv.
"I sincerely thank you for the order I received today. It is a great honor for me. I accept it on behalf of millions of Europeans who support the Ukrainian people. This is a great symbol of the connection between Ukraine and the European Union," she said.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the European Union has stood by our country in its heroic struggle against the aggressor. The leadership of the President of the European Commission plays a key role in the broad support for Ukraine from the European Union in the defense of sovereignty, territorial integrity and common European values.
Ursula von der Leyen personally convinces the leaders of EU member states of the need to provide Ukraine with heavy weapons and increase sanction pressure on the Russian Federation. Her dedication to the unconditional victory of Ukraine contributed to the adoption by the European Union of important decisions regarding the financial support of our country, including unprecedented macro-financial aid and recovery planning.
She also makes significant efforts to deepen the European integration of our country and implement the key priorities of the agenda of Ukraine-EU relations.
From now on, the name of Ursula von der Leyen on the Walk of the Brave in Kyiv will be next to the names of statesmen from Great Britain, Poland, Latvia and the Czech Republic.
