Zelenskyy in France: It's important that our battle is remembered as victorious 80 years from now
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during his speech at the French National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, has thanked foreign partners for their support and urged them to ensure that the ongoing struggle in Ukraine is spoken of in the future in the same way as the victorious Allied landings in Normandy.
In his speech, Zelenskyy drew parallels between World War II, specifically the Allied landing in Normandy as its turning point, and Russia's war against Ukraine, the outcome of which will determine Europe's future, as he put it.
Zelenskyy emphasised that today's free Europe is the result of bravery of those who chose to fight during World War II and did not let Nazi Germany prevail.
"Victories in those battles brought Europe back to humanity. Without those battles won, there would be nothing; there would be no Ukraine, no France, none of the free nations... (But) the Europe everyone knows in the period after World War II is not something that will last forever by itself," the president said.
Zelenskyy drew parallels with the ongoing war of Russia against Ukraine. Zelenskyy reiterated that, in fact, Russia is trying to exert influence all over the world "wherever it can reach and where it does not encounter resistance," such as in Syria and the Sahel region of Africa. He also noted that Russia resorts to blackmail to ensure that it is feared and not duly opposed.
Zelenskyy emphasised that the battle for Ukraine now holds the same existential significance for Europe as the battles won by previous generations of Europeans.
"This battle is a crossroads... Can Putin win this battle? No. Because we do not have the right to lose. Does this war have the right to fade away at the current lines? No, because there are no lines for evil – whether it's 80 years ago or now. If someone tries to draw temporary lines, it will only give a pause before a new war. Just like when evil unfolded aggression against its neighbours in the 1930s."
"Can we win this battle? Absolutely, yes. We can. Ukraine, and therefore Europe. Europe, and therefore France. I am as sure of this as France, which believed in freedom even when D-Day had not yet happened," emphasised the President of Ukraine.
He reiterated that Ukrainians believed they could withstand the pressure – even in the most difficult early days of the war – as long as they were not left alone and received sufficient help.
"And this will be proof that Europe will not revert to times when, without the Allied landings on the continent involving almost the entire world, it was impossible to end the war in Europe in a way that met Europe's interests... It is important that our cooperation is remembered 80 years from now as a battle won," noted Zelenskyy.
He also expressed confidence that one day Ukraine "will see in its skies the same planes as we saw yesterday in the sky over Normandy."
He separately thanked the French MPs for supporting the bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and France.
On 6 June, Zelenskyy and his wife Olena arrived at Omaha Beach, where a ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Allied landing in Normandy was held.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the delivery of several French Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine and the training of additional Ukrainian military personnel as part of a new stage of cooperation with Kyiv.
Zelenskyy’s visit to Paris is scheduled for 7 June, during which a meeting between the Ukrainian President and US President Joe Biden is also set to take place. Media reports say that during this meeting, Biden will announce a new aid package for Ukraine.