The visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was the highlight of the day in Portugal, according to Pavlo Sadokha, Vice-President of the Ukrainian World Congress and President of the Union of Ukrainians in Portugal.
“At the evening debates of the candidates for the European Parliament, the representative of the ruling party (Social Democrats) Sebastião Bugalho called Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit a ‘celebration of democracy.’ The Portuguese media covered the president’s stay minute by minute, from his arrival to his departure to Ukraine,” writes Sadokha.
During President Zelenskyy’s visit to Lisbon, Ukraine and Portugal signed a security agreement that includes a commitment to allocate €126 million to Kyiv this year. “Regarding the bilateral agreement to support Ukraine against Russian aggression, opinions differ on whether Portugal has truly offered everything in its arsenal compared to Spain and Belgium, but the level of reception for the President of Ukraine clearly showed that the Portuguese sincerely support Ukraine and its victory,” Sadokha writes.
The Ukrainian community in Portugal held a rally at the Presidential Palace in Lisbon to express their gratitude to Portugal for its unwavering and clear support of Ukraine since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.
“Even understanding that due to security measures, the President of a country at war could not meet with the public, many Portuguese attended the rally organized by Ukrainians in support in front of the presidential palace. Portugal is a member of the EU, one of the founders of NATO, and a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP). It is an important voice in building a pro-Ukrainian coalition,” concluded Sadokha.
