Thousands in Berlin show solidarity with Ukraine
At the Brandenburg Gate, thousands of demonstrators demand more support for Ukraine. The Ukrainian ambassador expresses especial thanks to Germany.
Berlin (dpa) - Thousands of people paraded down Berlin’s famous boulevard Unter den Linden to the Brandenburg Gate yesterday evening to demonstrate their solidarity with Ukraine. On the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war, they were remembering the Russian invasion of the country and commemorating its victims.
“We Europeans must understand that peace does not fall from the sky, that peace must be fought for,” said Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev. Closely surrounded by more than two dozen ambassadors of European countries, he was speaking from a stage directly in front of the Brandenburg Gate, which was illuminated in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.
Makeiev expressed special thanks for the support from Germany, which he described as Ukraine’s most important supporter now. “Last year, we saw German investments in the Ukrainian arms industry for the first time,” he said.
Calls for more weapons could be heard repeatedly during the demonstration - both on stage and from the crowd of people in front of it.
According to the Berlin police, around 5,000 people took part in the demonstration. The number was significantly higher according to the event’s organisers. Many waved blue-and-yellow flags or draped them around their shoulders.
