President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented state awards to President of Estonia Alar Karis, President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, President of Moldova Maia Sandu, President of Finland Alexander Stubb, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Andy Burnham, Prime Minister of Luxembourg Luc Frieden, Prime Minister of Latvia Andris Kulbergs, and President of the European Council António Costa. The foreign leaders came to Kyiv on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the restoration of Ukraine’s independence.
“I would like to thank those leaders and those nations who, without hesitation, supported our country and our people, our independence, and who came to Ukraine today to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence with us,” the Head of State said.
The President presented the Order of Freedom to the leaders of Estonia, Lithuania, and Finland. The President of Moldova was awarded the Order of Princess Olga, I class. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg received the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, II class, and the Prime Minister of Latvia received the Order of Merit, I class.
The Head of State awarded the Order of Europe to the President of the European Council.
“It is a great honor for me to receive the Order of Europe – a symbol of the unity that brings us together. I also accept it on behalf of the heads of state and government of the European Union – my colleagues in the European Council. The European Council convened on the day Russia’s full-scale war began, February 24, 2022, to step up European support for Ukraine. Since then, European solidarity has remained strong and unwavering,” António Costa noted.
He emphasized that the European Union will continue supporting Ukraine and diplomatic initiatives aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace.
For the first time, the President of Ukraine presented the new state distinction “Gratitude of the Ukrainian People” to the people of the United Kingdom. It was received by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, whose first foreign visit in office was to Ukraine. With this distinction, our country will honor friends and true partners who have helped the Ukrainian people from the very beginning.
Andy Burnham noted that Ukrainians inspire others every day with their struggle.
“Thank you for your incredible resilience and determination, because they have made all of us stronger. Europe has become stronger. NATO has too. As President Zelenskyy said, Ukraine is not a poor relation, but a strong ally. I would go even further: Ukraine has become the defender of Europe. It is not a burden on our security; on the contrary, it stands on the front line of Europe’s defense. That is why I am convinced that the Ukrainian people deserve not only our continued support, but also our gratitude and respect,” the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom noted.
Andy Burnham assured Ukraine of his country’s continued support, particularly given the need to strengthen the protection of Ukrainian skies and provide assistance during the winter. According to him, this includes air defense, countering Russian missile launches through sanctions that disrupt military supply chains, and developing technology and cooperation.
