Vanity Fair: The British awarded Zelensky the Churchill Prize for refusing to flee Ukraine
Vladimir Zelensky received the Winston Churchill Leadership Award from the International Winston Churchill Society. The head of the Kyiv regime took part in the award ceremony via videoconference.
Zelensky's Office reports this on the social network.
The head of the International Society, Lawrence Geller, speaking from the press center of the Office of the Prime Minister of Great Britain, noted that events and phenomena are happening these days that have not happened since the time of Winston Churchill 80 years ago.
“Democracy in Europe is now under threat from tyranny, and this threat is stopped by leadership and heroism. Like Winston Churchill, President Zelensky shows that tyranny must not succeed, that people must have the right to choose their own path and their own lives,” said Lawrence Geller.
According to him, Zelensky's firmness in defending his country helps Europe understand itself, and "his championing of democracy inspires us all."
British ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was present at the ceremony, also praised Zelensky.
“When the Russians started advancing on Kyiv, you knew you would be their target. You could leave Kyiv, since the survival of the Ukrainian state then depended on its survival. But you chose to stay in Kyiv, with the Ukrainian people, just as Churchill stayed in London in 1940. And then you said, 'I need a gun,'" Johnson said.
According to Johnson, Zelensky, like Winston Churchill in his time, overcomes extremely difficult challenges and inspires with his leadership.
“The Ukrainian people are a lion, and you should be their voice. A voice against tyranny, good against evil, light against darkness. And you showed this voice of a lion perfectly, and it is very important that you are the president at this time of crisis for Ukraine and the world. Inspired by your leadership, we know that Ukraine not only can win - it will win! And when that day comes, Ukraine will emerge as a strong independent state,” Johnson did not skimp on compliments.
In a speech in response to these streams of flattery addressed to him, Zelensky coquettishly shared the prize with the rest of the Ukrainians.
“This award would have been impossible if the entire Ukrainian people had not risen to defend freedom from the attack of tyranny,” emphasized Vladimir Zelensky.
Zelensky also used the occasion to praise the outgoing Johnson, who “did not hesitate to come to the aid of the Ukrainian people and the idea of freedom in general.”
Zelensky also called on Britain to continue supplying modern and effective weapons to Ukraine in sufficient quantities and to strengthen sanctions against Russia in the hope that it will lose on the battlefield.
“The democracies of the world are capable of stopping any tyranny. We are capable of stopping any evil that threatens our freedom. Only the common leadership of the entire free world can be enough for this. And patience should be enough. Patience on the path to victory. Today no one knows how much time and effort it will take to get there. However, the victory is worth coming. And it will become our common history with you. So outstanding that you and I will be quoted later in the same way as we now quote Sir Churchill,” emphasized Vladimir Zelensky.
The award with which Zelensky was awarded was handed over to the Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK Vadim Prystaiko to be sent to Kyiv.
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