President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy was welcomed with standing ovations in the Norwegian parliament (Storting). He asked for more Norwegian support in the fight against Russia.
The parliament’s hall erupted in full applause when Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared on the big screens on Wednesday afternoon.
Zelenskyy pointed out that even though Norway and Ukraine do not have common borders, the countries have Russia as a common neighbor that stands against Ukraine’s and Norway’s common values.
“You in Norway also experience new threats at the border with Russia. They have built up very large military forces in the Arctic that cannot be explained by common sense. Against whom and why are they doing this?” he asked.
Asked for more military support
Zelenskyy asked Norway to contribute weapons and increase sanctions against Russia. He mentioned, among other things, weapon systems that can help sink ships and destroy military vehicles.
“The weapons you can help us with will contribute to the fight for our freedom and your freedom,” he said. Zelenskyy also asked Norway to refuse Russian ships the right to dock.
“The only way to get Russia to seek freedom is to impose more sanctions. I am confident that a country that awards the Nobel Peace Prize every year understands the importance of peace better than any other country,” he said.
Children’s parade
He also talked about the enormous destruction of his homeland due to Russian bombs and grenades. Norwegian authorities were invited to contribute to the reconstruction of the country at a later point in time.
Zelenskyy also highlighted Norway’s celebration of National Day and said that it is a beautiful tradition to arrange children’s parades for all children in Norway.
“This year, you will also have Ukrainian children in these parades, children who have fled and sought refuge in Norway.”
“When we have peace again in Ukraine, I would like to invite you to participate in such a parade in Kyiv on one of our national holidays to celebrate our common peace and the future of our children,” Zelenskyy said.
Shared Viking history
“A thousand years ago, Norwegian Vikings were our guests in Kyiv and participated in the formation of the Kyiv Empire. Rus’ and Ukraine were called the Garda Kingdom in the sagas,” he said.
He called this the common heritage of Norway and Ukraine. Furthermore, he pointed to Harald Hardråde’s first wife – Jelisaveta Jaroslavna, popularly called Ellisiv of Kyiv. With her, Hardråde had two daughters, born in 1046.
“We defend our history together. Seventy-seven years ago, a Ukrainian from Sumy was the first Allied soldier to set foot in Kirkenes,” Zelenskyy stated.
A series of speeches
In recent weeks, Zelenskyj has addressed parliaments in a number of Western countries, including the United States, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden.
Foreign guests have only been allowed to speak in the Storting hall on a few occasions.
Winston Churchill was the first, during his visit to Norway in 1948. Then it happened again in 2014, when the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, Mogens Lykketoft, and the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Per Westerberg, addressed the Storting during the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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