Request of the President of Ukraine to the EU: prove that you are with us Vladimir Zelenski

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Vladimir Zelensky called on the EU to “prove that you are with us” and to help “light defeat darkness” in a passionate address to the European Parliament following Ukraine’s application for membership.

In a speech via video link from Kyiv on Tuesday, the Ukrainian president said his people, including those killed in Tuesday’s rocket attacks in the country’s second city, Kharkiv, were sacrificing their lives for European ideals in the fight against invading Russian forces.

“No one will break us. We are strong, we are Ukrainians. We want to see our children alive, I think it’s fair, “Zelenski said. “We are fighting for survival. We are fighting to be equal members of Europe. “

He added: “We are exactly the same as you. So prove that you are with us. Prove that you are truly European and then life will defeat death and light will defeat darkness. Glory to Ukraine.

The call came when French Finance Minister Bruno Le Mer said the EU was “waging a total economic and financial war against Russia”, describing the sanctions package as “extremely effective”.

He told France Info radio. “We will cause the collapse of the Russian economy.

The comments provoked an angry reaction from former Russian President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

He tweeted: “Be careful with your tongue, gentlemen! And don’t forget that in human history, economic wars have often become real. “

In Geneva, a number of diplomats left the room when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the UN Human Rights Council in a pre-recorded video message after a similar boycott of his speech at a nearby Disarmament Conference.

Dozens of diplomats left during a speech by Russia’s foreign minister at the UN – video

Diplomats gathered in front of the Conference on Disarmament in front of the Ukrainian flag and applauded. The applause was heard in the hall where Lavrov’s speech continued, with only a handful of ambassadors from countries, including Yemen, Syria, Venezuela and Tunisia, being there to hear them.

Ukraine’s envoy to the EU on Tuesday formally handed over a request for EU membership to the French ambassador, whose country holds the current presidency.

Addressing MEPs and Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, presidents of the European Commission and the Council respectively, Zelenski said the EU would be “much stronger with us, that’s for sure.” Without you, Ukraine will be lonely. “

The passionate call received a cautiously positive welcome from the two leaders of the EU institutions as they climbed the podium in front of the parliament’s semicircle.

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“The Council (of EU governments) will have to seriously consider the symbolic, political and legitimate request made and make the right choice in a definite and clear way,” Michel said.

Von der Layen said there was a “long way to go”. “We must end this war,” she said. “And we need to talk about the next steps. But I am sure: no one in this half-cycle can doubt that a nation that so boldly upholds our European values ​​belongs to our European family.

“We are united”: Von der Layen promises 1 billion euros to Ukraine in a passionate way – video

The path to membership will require the commission to give a positive assessment of Ukraine’s potential candidacy, a process that could take up to 18 months. Then there will be a transitional period of indefinite duration, during which Ukraine will have to adopt all EU legislation.

Slovenia and Poland have called on EU member states to take “quick and bold decisions” to ensure that Ukraine can join the EU by 2030. But there is some skepticism in other capitals about the wisdom of further enlargement.

“Everything has changed”: Ukrainian president speaks after rocket attack in Kharkiv – video

Zelenski told MEPs he was talking to them during the Russian bombing. “You know, I don’t read from paper, I don’t read,” he said. “Because the time of paper in the life of my country is over.”

Today will be the last for some of those fighting for Ukraine’s freedom, he added. “We give away our best people, our strongest, our greatest people.”

“This morning was very tragic for us: two cruise missiles hit Kharkiv, the city on the borders of the Russian Federation,” he said. “Can you imagine two cruise missiles hitting Freedom Square?” Dozens were killed. That is the price of freedom. “