The Ukrainian people were honoured with the Ewald von Kleist Award in Munich
During the ceremony, the head of state expressed his gratitude for the award and emphasised that it is a mark of the strength of Ukrainians and, at the same time, a symbol of Ukraine's friendship with its international partners.
"I am very proud to be the president of Ukraine, our great nation," Zelensky said. He thanked the leaders of the United States, Europe and Canada for their support during the war against Russian aggression, and also singled out Germany as an important partner.
The president stressed that Ukraine is consistently working to build mutual understanding, mutual respect and fair treatment with all states, and considers true friendship to be the best result. According to him, Ukrainians are well aware of the names of the leaders who are helping the country and understand what is behind every decision and every support package.
Acting Chairman of the Munich Security Conference Wolfgang Ischinger previously emphasised that the Ukrainian people have been fighting for freedom, independence and dignity for over ten years. Despite the cruelty of war and great sacrifices, the determination of Ukrainians to defend their state and the security of Europe remains unbreakable.
The von Kleist Prize has been awarded since 2009 for outstanding contributions to international cooperation and peaceful conflict resolution. Last year's winner was Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Previous winners include Jens Stoltenberg, Angela Merkel, and international organisations such as the UN and the OSCE.
