Portugal supports the Ukrainians on their path to the European Union and their aspirations to join NATO, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Tuesday, marking Ukraine’s “1,000 days of courageous resistance” against Russia.

According to the President’s official website, Rebelo de Sousa’s message was sent on Tuesday to his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Today marks 1,000 days of Ukraine’s courageous resistance against Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression. Portugal continues to stand by Ukraine on the road to membership of the European Union, in its aspirations to join NATO and firm in its commitment to provide military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine,” reads the text.

The message ends with the Ukrainian greeting ‘slava Ukraini’, which means ‘glory to Ukraine’.

Rebelo de Sousa paid a two-day visit to Ukraine in August last year at Zelenskyy’s invitation, marking the country’s 32nd anniversary of independence.

On this visit to Ukraine, he passed through Kyiv, Bucha, Moshchun, Irpin and Horenka as a sign of support for the Ukrainians in the war of defence against invasion by the Russian Federation that began in February 2022.

In May this year, Zelenskyy spent a few hours in Lisbon to meet with Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and sign a bilateral cooperation and security agreement.

During his visit to Portugal, Zelenskyy was received with military honours by Rebelo de Sousa, with whom he had a meeting followed by dinner at the president’s residence, the Palácio de Belém.

(Inês Escobar Lima – edited by Pedro Sousa Carvalho | Lusa.pt)

Source: Euractiv.com