On the 118th day of the war, on 21 June 2022, the Head of the Danish government addressed the parliamentarians of Ukraine with a speech in which she noted the incredible strength and iron will of the free Ukrainian people, the strength and courage of the proud Ukrainian nation, which, as she believes, will decide the course of this war. She expressed confidence that when the war will be over, a new and stronger Ukraine will arise and democracy will win.
“You are fighting – not only for your own country, but for free nations all over the world. It is a war between freedom and oppression, between democracy and tyranny. A war none of us can afford to lose,” said the Danish Prime Minister.
According to her, now is a defining moment for Europe, which will outline not only the future of Europeans, but also who they are. The unique European Community was built on common values, but there have been times when it did not live up to expectations, in particular during the armed conflicts in Yugoslavia, as well as during the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine in 2014.
“We need to show you and the rest of the world that our European values are not just words. They are what we live by. And if we fail to help you, if we fail to push back Putin then we fail ourselves. Your freedom is our freedom. We cannot let you down,” Mette Frederiksen said.
The Head of the Danish government noted that Denmark, together with the rest of the free world – European and transatlantic partners – supports Ukraine in having imposed sanctions against Russia. In addition, Denmark understands that Ukraine now needs weapons most of all, so the Danish government decided to provide Ukraine with weapons and military equipment and deliver them to the territory of Ukraine in order to “make a real difference on the ground and help defeat Russia”.
The Danish Prime Minister also promised that the Danish government will continue to do everything possible to provide Ukraine with everything it needs, including humanitarian aid and financial support. “We work with our partners to remove mines. We help you… to rebuild the areas where you have pushed out the Russians. And we have accepted the request of President Zelenskyy to take a leading role in the reconstruction of the city of Mykolaiv,” the Danish Prime Minister said.
Welcoming the head of the Danish government, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk expressed gratitude to the Danish people, the Folketing and the Government of Denmark for their strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. “Our peoples are united by more than it seems at first glance. Ask every Ukrainian if he (she) has read the fairy tales of… Hans Christian Andersen. We are a people of romantics, so all this is very close to us mentally,” said the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament.
Ruslan Stefanchuk stressed that Denmark is in solidarity with Ukraine in Ukraine′s heroic struggle against the Russian aggressor, and the military assistance provided by Denmark since the start of Russia′s full-scale invasion is invaluable. He also said: “In recent weeks, the phrase ‘achieving the Copenhagen criteria’ has become perhaps the most used not only by me, but also by many colleagues in this chamber… We will work sincerely and persistently on this [European integration] process, and Denmark′s support in granting Ukraine the status of a candidate country for membership in the European Union is extremely important for us.”
Mette Frederiksen, as the Chairman of the ruling Social Democratic Party of Denmark, concluded her speech by saying that eight years ago Ukrainians made their choice by choosing Europe, so there can be no doubt that Ukraine is part of the European family. “Your brave fight against Russia shows your commitment to the European values, to freedom. I welcome your request to join the European Union and Denmark supports candidate status for Ukraine. The road to EU membership can be long and demanding, there are requirements that need to be met… But we will support you every step of the way [because] you belong in Europe and Europe belongs to you,” said the Head of the Danish government.
Text of the address in English and Danish
Photo Credit: Administration of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Office of the Prime Minister of Denmark