Representatives of several states, politicians and diplomats conveyed messages of support on the anniversary of 1,000 days since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. In this context, leaders of European institutions spoke about the bravery and courage of Kyiv. The European Parliament promises the Union will stand by Ukraine for as long as it is necessary to achieve fair peace. The European Parliament held a plenary session where president Volodymyr Zelenskyy also took part via videoconference. The Ukrainian president said that, in the absence of European aid, Ukraine would have fallen under Russian occupation. Zelenskyy thanked the community bloc for its help, which made resistance to Moscow possible, and called on the world to respond strongly to Vladimir Putin’s new threats after the Russian president approved changes to the country’s military doctrine, which now calls for a nuclear response in the event of an attack with conventional weapons if backed by a nuclear power. By changing the nuclear doctrine, president Zelenskyy argues, the Russian president shows that he does not want peace, but that he wants to destroy Ukraine and the whole world.
In turn, the Armed Forces of Ukraine published a message addressing the Ukrainian people, reminding them that, for exactly 1,000 days, the national army “has protected European homes, cities, families, friends and the future of our children from the large-scale aggression of the Russian Federation”.
Also to mark 1,000 days of war, a meeting of the European Ministers of Defense was held in Brussels, attended by the NATO Secretary-General, Mark Rutte. Officials discussed military aid to Ukraine, following the announcement made by the USA, which allowed Kyiv to use US-donated weaponry to attack military targets inside Russia. Since the start of the war, European states have donated Ukraine over 130 billion EUR, of which 45 billion represented military aid. So far, 67,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained in the European Union.
On the other hand, to express support for Kyiv, a thousand days after the start of the war, the buildings of the main European institutions – the Commission, the Council and the Parliament – were illuminated on Monday evening in yellow and blue, the national colors of Ukraine. In Bucharest too, the Parliament building was lit yellow and blue, and the flag of the neighboring state was hoisted at the main entrance.
Ukraine remains undefeated, after 1,000 days of devastating war, the Ambassador of the United States in Bucharest, Kathleen Kavalec, told Radio Romania in a message. The US ambassador added that, according to the UN, Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has so far killed 11,000 civilians, including over 600 children. Moscow continues to commit shocking war crimes, including torturing civilians and prisoners of war, while Russian bombs have destroyed schools, hospitals and monuments of Ukrainian history, culture and identity, Ambassador Kavalec said. In her message, the official thanked Bucharest for supporting Kyiv and reminded that the stakes of the war far exceed the borders of Ukraine, one such example being the incidents on the territory of Romania. (VP)
