On the 269th day of the war, on 19 November 2022, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Denmark Mykhailo Vydoinyk received for the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy the Freedom Prize of the Liberal Party of Denmark – Venstres frihedspris, which is traditionally awarded during the annual congress of this political force.
Laureates of the Freedom Prize are individuals and organizations that fight for personal freedom and against oppression. The bronze sculpture presented as an award represents a man caught in between two stone blocks, which he pushes apart with the power of his will. According to Liberal Party Deputy Chairwoman Stephanie Lohse, the Freedom Prize symbolizes a person′s ability to be goal-oriented, make extraordinary efforts and “move mountains”, therefore its recipients are true freedom fighters who can mobilize initiative, believe in their cause, fight resistance and criticism.
Receiving the award for the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Vydoinyk noted that thanks to the bravery of our defenders, thanks to the courage and resilient spirit of millions of Ukrainians, our state has become a true symbol of the fight for freedom. According to him, the fierce battle of Ukrainians under the leadership of the Head of the Ukrainian State for national dignity, freedom and truth, for the right to live on their own land and choose their own future today inspires the entire civilized world.
“This high award reflects not only the efforts of Ukraine, the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian President,” said the Ambassador of Ukraine, “it is also a symbol of our unity with international partners, a symbol of the unity of democracies... the result of joint work which is achieved thanks to the strength and solidarity of all who values freedom.”
He thanked the Folketing, the Danish government, all Danish people for the invaluable support that Ukraine receives from Denmark at this time. “You provide weapons, send humanitarian assistance and technical aid. You support us in the international arena by strengthening sanctions against Russia... Thank you for striving for victory with us,” said the Ukrainian Ambassador.
Mykhailo Vydoinyk called on the political forces of Denmark to maintain unwavering support for Ukraine for the restoration of its territorial integrity and the world order, since the future of freedom and democracy, as well as peace and security not only in Ukraine, but also in all of Europe, depend on our unity and solidarity.
Photo Credit: Henrik Bjerregrav, Hasse Ferrold