Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, met with Vasco Cordeiro, the President of the Committee of the Regions of the European Union, and Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of the French city of Paris, as part of the International Summit of Cities and Regions.
Source: Ukrainian President’s Office
Zelenskyy stressed the necessity of swiftly restoring Ukraine while pointing out the sizeable help that Paris and the EU Committee of the Regions have given and are now giving Ukraine since the start of the Russian Federation’s full-scale war.
The Ukrainian leader specifically thanked the mayor of the French capital for supporting tens of thousands of internally displaced Ukrainians who have been sheltered and helped to find shelter throughout France, as well as for more than 100 trucks of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Zelensky recalled Paris’s initiative on the energy front and its support for Ukraine through this challenging winter.
Separately, the President commended Anne Hidalgo for her unwavering personal stance on excluding Russian athletes from competing in international events, including the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.
“We are committed to the Olympic Games. For me, Paris is the capital of human rights. Not just for me, either. The Olympic Movement’s core principles are essential. The values of humanism. The values of Europe.
If the war continues and the Russians continue attacking you, and if they are assaulting us and our values during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, in my opinion, Russian athletes must not be welcomed in Paris if there is a war going on.
That’s why we are here. We are trying to convince athletes, international federations and countries. We’re here for you. We are here for you as you struggle. Both Paris and I are reliable.
The Ukrainian President awarded the honorary title “City of Savior,” which he had decreed be assigned to Paris, to the mayor of the French capital.
