The President of Ukraine was invited to address the Lithuanian Parliament in connection with the Seimas awarding him the annual Freedom Prize.
“I want to thank you for the fact that you have not given up freedom for a single moment – not only during these 323 days of the cruel, inhuman Russian war, when we have felt your support all the time,” Zelensky said.
“And for many years, the free hearts of Lithuanians and Lithuania’s path to a united Europe have inspired countless people in various countries that were once enslaved by Russia,” said the President of Ukraine.
“Lithuania has been and – I am sure – remains one of the truest defenders of freedom, and this is the best tribute to the heroes who defeated the empire in those winter days 32 years ago,” said Zelenskiy.
He emphasized that Lithuanians not only protected their parliament and other buildings that night, but also defended their historical choice.
Europe is on the way to the final victory over the empire, the president of Ukraine said.
“Russia will no longer be able to dictate anything to European nations when we have finished this war with a sure victory over the aggressor,” said Zelensky.
When Russia attacked Ukraine, it thought about attacking other European countries as well, and as its troops went to Kyiv, “it also dreamed of going to Vilnius, Warsaw and Prague,” the Ukrainian president said.
“They wanted our freedom to fall. But they are the ones who will fall,” Zelensky emphasized.
He called on the whole world to mobilize as the Lithuanian people did during the events of January 1991 in order to defeat Russian aggression.
Zelensky also thanked Lithuania for supplying weapons to Ukraine and increasing pressure on Russia.
“Freedom is alive when the idea of defending it is alive, when there are people who are ready to fight for it. And it’s not just rhetoric, but real action that Ukraine constantly sees from Lithuania. Action that helps us liberate our cities and villages from Russian occupation, actions that help protect our people from Russian missiles and bombs,” the Ukrainian president said.
Zelenskiy thanked Lithuanian President Gitan Nausėdas and the Lithuanian people for the delivery of anti-aircraft weapons “from [kara] the first days to this day”.
Freedom Defenders Day is celebrated in Lithuania on Friday, commemorating the tragic events of January 13, 1991 in Vilnius.
This year marks 32 years since the moment when, in an attempt to overthrow the legally elected government of Lithuania, which had declared the country’s independence on March 11, 1990, special units of the Soviet troops forcibly occupied the Vilnius Television Tower and the Television and Radio Committee and interrupted television and radio broadcasts. 14 unarmed people died and several hundred were injured by bullets and under the tracks of tanks near the television tower.
At that time, the troops occupied the Lithuanian Television and Radio Committee, the Press House and other strategically important buildings, but thanks to the people’s non-violent resistance, they managed to hold the Supreme Council building, which was guarded by tens of thousands of people, and preserve the statehood of Lithuania.
On January 13, the annual Freedom Award is presented in the Seimas. Instead of Zelensky, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuania Petro Beshta received the prize statuette.
It has already been announced that at the beginning of December, 113 members of the Lithuanian Parliament supported the awarding of the Freedom Prize to Zelensky in the vote of the Seimas, none voted against or abstained.
“Currently, Ukraine is a European democracy that must fight for the survival of its territory, culture and people, as well as the freedom of all of us. Therefore, the Freedom Prize Commission has proposed to award this year’s Freedom Prize to the President of Ukraine and the entire Ukrainian people for their struggle for independence, freedom and democracy against Russia’s military aggression,” Speaker of the Parliament Victoria Chmilite-Nilsen said at the Seimas session where the vote was held.
“As President of Ukraine, he has been at the forefront of the fight for freedom, inspiring millions of Ukrainians by his leadership and example to resist and not give up, and has also united the entire global community against the criminal [Krievijas prezidenta Vladimira] Putin’s regime,” she added.
The Lithuanian Freedom Award was established in 2011 to evaluate the contribution of individuals and organizations to the defense of human rights, the development of democracy and international cooperation, fighting for the free self-determination and sovereignty of the peoples of Eastern and Central Europe.
Applicants for the EUR 5,000 bonus are evaluated by a special commission, which includes representatives from Seimas factions, the World Lithuanian Community, the Signatory Club of the Lithuanian Act of Independence, as well as Lithuanian youth organizations.
The first Lithuanian Freedom Award was received in January 2012 by Russian human rights defender Sergejs Kovalyov.
