Alberto Rubio
The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida, and the Deputy Mayor, Begoña Villacís, together with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Spain, Serhii Pohoreltsev, yesterday presided over the raising of the Ukrainian flag in the Lesya Ukrainka square, “as a new sign of Madrid’s commitment” to the Ukrainian people.
The flag, which will always be raised at the roundabout, “represents and symbolises the struggle for everything that should be normal, such as democracy and freedoms, but which is becoming increasingly difficult. This flag shows us the way forward“, said the councillor.
Martínez Almeida, who compared the Russian invasion with the Nazi occupation of Ukraine, recalled that “today (yesterday) marks 250 days of an illegal, unjust, inhumane and cruel invasion. But it also marks 250 days of a heroic example of resistance by the Ukrainian people, led by their president”.
The mayor expressed his support for Ukraine’s entry into the European Union, stressing that “it is essential for Ukraine to belong to this club, in which democracy and rights and freedoms are the indisputable premise”.
For her part, the Deputy Mayor, Begoña Villacís, stressed in her speech that “this is an act of recognition of the courage of democrats who fight for us to have rights, freedoms and peace in Europe and in the world”.
Before assuring that Madrid “will never abandon you”, Villacís asked that Ukraine not be forgotten “despite the fact that you do not make the headlines”. And, addressing the girls in the choir that performed several compositions by the poet Lesya Ukrainka, she expressed her gratitude because “your parents are not only fighting for you and for Ukraine, they are also fighting for Europe, for the world and for the people of Madrid”.
The Ukrainian ambassador, Serhii Pohoreltsev, thanked the Madrid City Council, and by extension the rest of Spain, which “during these 250 days has been giving all kinds of support” to the Ukrainians who had to leave their homes and were welcomed in Spain.
After the raising of the flag and the performance of the Ukrainian national anthem by a singer, a group of Ukrainian girls sheltered in Madrid sang several compositions by the poet Lesya Ukrainka, after whom the square in the Hortaleza district is named.
