Twenty-eight Ukrainians demonstrated yesterday in front of the Russian Federation embassy in Lisbon, in solidarity with their fellow citizens detained by Russia, with the president of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal calling for the “end of Russian imperialism
“If Ukraine disappears, Europe disappears, while if Russian imperialism disappears, Europe will continue to prosper”, added Paulo Sadokha. Without official figures on how many Ukrainian citizens remain in detention since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Paulo Sadokha said it is a few hundred.
“We are few, but what we are doing here today is happening in several European capitals”, he observed, adding “that what the Russians do to Ukrainian prisoners does not cross the minds of civilized people”.
About to begin the second year of war, the president of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal reiterated that the Ukrainians “will not lower their arms or give up on the war” until they defeat the invader.
Paulo Kadokha stressed that this Christmas is “even sadder than last year”, as there is no end in sight to the war started by Russia.
He was also pleased that talks had already begun for Ukraine’s entry into the European Union (EU), considering it “elucidating” that the Ukrainians’ struggle “has not been in vain”.
Thanking the “Portuguese people and politicians” for always helping Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict, Paulo Sadokha stressed that Ukrainians residing in Portugal “will not rest until the headquarters of the Russian Federation leaves its facilities in Lisbon” nor while the flag of that country, “a flag of evil”, continues to fly in the building as well as in other European countries.
“Ukraine does not intend to eliminate the Russian people, but rather the end of Russian imperialism,” he noted.
The leader of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal once again asked the Portuguese population and politicians to “not leave Ukrainians alone”. Of the 28 protesters, only one, an employee of the Ukrainian embassy in Portugal, has a cousin detained by Russia. Coming from Kiev three months ago, she was “very worried” about what might happen to that family member.
At the end of the gathering and after shouting “Slava Ukraine” and singing their anthem, the protesters headed to Praça dos Restauradores, to participate in an initiative to be held today where Ukrainian Christmas compositions will be sung, in an initiative “that will feature the presence of the ambassador.”
In Restauradores they will also create a collection to send to Ukrainian citizens with family members imprisoned by Russia, concluded Paulo Sadokha.