Ukraine: Montenegro assures that Portugal will continue to stand by Kiev in the search for peace

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro greeted the Ukrainian people this Monday and assured that Portugal will continue to stand by Kiev in the search for a fair, inclusive and lasting peace, marking the third year since the start of the war in Ukraine.

In a statement written on the social network X, Luís Montenegro writes that “it is time to put an end to a flagrant violation of the values ​​of democracy and international law”.

“On the 3rd anniversary of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, I salute the Ukrainian people for their bravery in defending freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Prime Minister said.

And the message ends with a guarantee: “Portugal has stood by Ukraine from the very beginning in the exercise of its legitimate right to self-defense, and will continue to stand by its side in the search for a just, inclusive and lasting peace.”

The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24, 2022, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).

To mark the date, the leaders of the European Commission and the European Council arrived in Kiev today, where they will express their support for Ukraine and Zelensky.

“We are in Kiev today because Ukraine is Europe. In this fight for survival, it is not just the fate of Ukraine that is at stake. It is the fate of Europe,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Von der Leyen's message was published on social media, accompanied by a video of her arrival by train in Kiev alongside the President of the European Council, the Portuguese António Costa.

The President of the European Commission arrived accompanied by 24 of her 27 commissioners and was received at the station by the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sibiga.

On the train to Kiev, von der Leyen argued that the European Union (EU) should accelerate the immediate delivery of military aid to Ukraine in the coming weeks.