Ukrainian resistance to Russian aggression revealed many things that had not been seen before or were not sufficiently appreciated. For example, Ukraine's strength and national identification, the shared values of Ukrainians and Europeans, and the valuelessness of European unity.
The feat that Ukrainians are doing for 446 days, second by second, united Europe. And for this, on behalf of Ukrainians, Zelenskyy was awarded the Charlemagne Prize on May 14 in Aachen. The prime minister of Poland attended the ceremony, the president and chancellor of Germany and other international officials.
"We know what power, will for democracy your people have," Olaf Scholz to Zelenskyy.
"Ukraine is here! Ukraine is Europe! Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!" The chancellor congratulated Ukrainians.
"If not for his heroic attitude, today, the EU would share a very long section of the border with Russia. According to him, thanks to the position of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, neither our region nor the whole of Europe can be destabilised," Mateusz Morawiecki about the president of Ukraine.
"And if anyone still has doubts about whether to support the Ukrainian people... Please, here in Aachen or in any other city of our beautiful free Europe, go outside, look around you, feel the key thing we strive for, the thing that is given to us all by peace and respect in Europe... Feel the freedom! It is just here, and we are fighting for it. And we will win," Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
History finally will memorise Ukrainians as strong people whose willingness to live freely united Europe.
