Address of Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on decision of French Senate on easing sanctions on Russian Federation

Press Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariat
09 June 2016, 21:17

French Senate adopted a resolution on easing sanctions against Russia. Russia, aggressor, who unleashed war in Europe and annexed the territory of Ukraine. I understand that the final decision would be made by the government - so I hope that this decision will be reasonable and wise.

I want to remind that France gave the world the respect for the values of freedom.

I would like to recall how in 1940, after the Wehrmacht attack, world united and stood for defense of France. In the early days of the invasion of Nazi Germany in France hundreds of Ukrainian at the call of Ukrainian National Union joined the ranks of the French Foreign Legion to defend the independence of France.

Representatives of different nations of the world joined the French resistance movement. Thus, in the ranks of the French Resistance two Ukrainian units fought: by name of Taras Shevchenko and Ivan Bohun.

Now Ukraine is in the same struggle as France in the forties of the XX century. So we rely on the support of our European partners.

We know that the French people like nobody else understand what is the occupation, what is struggle for independence. I do not want to think that the values, that France bears to the world, may be subject to revision in favor of political or commercial interests. These are the values of freedom and the protection of freedom.

I ask myself:  what would Charles de Gaulle do, who managed to unite the whole world for the liberation of France? What would he do today when we have the same situation - when Ukraine has united the whole world against Russian invaders. Would Charles de Gaulle destroy the free world coalition against an aggressor, against the occupation, against Russian tanks in Eastern Ukraine.

I want to emphasize that free and independent Ukraine - is a guarantee of free Europe. Now our people are dying in front of Donbas, in particular, for the freedom of France, the freedom of Europe, for the freedom of the whole free world.

I appeal to the French government:  commercial interests cannot stand above the spirit of freedom, which became a symbol of France in the world.

I call the French Government not to ease sanctions against Russia!