“Nazism” has returned to Europe, Zelensky dramatizes in the French Parliament: “We have no right to lose”
In the lower chamber of the French National Assembly, this Friday, Volodymyr Zelensky compared the ongoing war in Ukraine with what was at stake during World War II. “We live in a time when Europe is no longer a continent of peace. The cities are completely destroyed. Once again, prison camps, deportations and hatred appear in Europe. There are those who seek to divide Europe. They say that this or that person does not deserve to exist.â€
According to the Ukrainian President, what is happening today in the eastern European country could spread to other European states. “All this affects Ukraine today, but tomorrow it could affect other countries: the Baltics, Poland, the Balkans, and beyond. This Russian regime knows no limits.” Zelensky illustrated the impact of Russian action by mentioning the destruction in Syria and the influence in the Sahel region, which he characterizes as attempts to “weaken countries†.
In his speech to French parliamentarians, the Ukrainian leader also took the opportunity to highlight the differences between the Russian and Ukrainian regimes, which are now moving closer to the West. “Look at what Putin is doing to his own country and his people. It is a territory where life no longer has value. This is the opposite of everything we aspire to and our values. It is the opposite of freedom, the opposite of equality and the opposite of fraternity [os três valores invocados durante a Revolução Francesa]. It’s the opposite of Europe.”
“We have no right to lose”, stressed Volodymyr Zelensky, trying to pressure his allies with a historical comparison that torments Europe, especially in the week that commemorates the anniversary of the Battle of Normandy. “Can this war spread? Yes, like 80 years ago. In the 1930s, Hitler crossed all the red lines. Putin does the same.” The triumph over Nazi Germany and its axis of allies, eight decades ago, motivated the dramatization: “Without these victories nothing would exist, no one would exist, neither Ukraine nor France. The. None of the free nations would exist†.
Zelensky said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 brought “Nazism back” to the European continent. “We are living in a time when Europe is no longer a continent of peace”, he concluded.
Ukrainian wrapped in a European Union flag, during the historic Euromaidan demonstrations
ALEXANDER KOERNER / GETTY IMAGES
Among the allies he found in the European Union and NATO, France has been one of the most vocal countries in its support and Macron has been a faithful squire. In Paris, the Ukrainian President had the opportunity to recognize (and thank) him: “Thank you, France, for not having hesitated, and for choosing the side of humanity in this war of culture and international law. Since the first days, from the first hours of this attack with which Russia tried to erase 80 years of Europe, I know I can count on you”.
The French President had announced this Thursday that France will send Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighters to Ukraine. Emmanuel Macron also assured that the French will start training Ukrainian pilots this summer, training that should take six months. Macron was also available to enable the training of 4500 Ukrainian soldiers.
