Residents of Helsinki gathered in the city centre on Sunday to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day for the fourth consecutive year since Russia’s invasion expressing solidarity with the country’s struggle for freedom.
Several hundreds of people took part in the “United For Ukraine” event at Senate Square with colourful banners and festoons demanding freedom for the country and condemning the Russian aggression.
Many of them were carrying sunflowers, the national symbol of Ukraine and dressed in or waving the Ukrainian flag.
The event was organised by the Ukrainian Association in Finland (UYS), the Lutheran Church in Helsinki, and Mothersforpeace, in cooperation with the City of Helsinki, the University of Helsinki, the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Embassy of Ukraine in Finland.
Ukraine correspondent of the national broadcaster Yle Justas Stasevskij opened the programme that included a welcome address by the Mayor of Helsinki Daniel Sazonov, greetings by Parliament Speaker Jussi Halla-aho where Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz, Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen, and Ukrainian Ambassador to Finland Myhailo Vydoinyk addressed among others.
About 40 Diplomats and Ambassadors to Finland attended the event.
A Ukrainian choir opened with the Slavic country’s national anthem.
The commemoration concluded with a performance of Sibelius’s Finlandia Hymn by the University of Helsinki Student Union Singers’ double quartet.
“Our main point is that Ukraine needs a stable and just peace, and it must have the right to decide for itself how and when to negotiate to have a strong support from its partners, rather than being pressured by them,” said Nadiia Fedorova, coordinator of the rally from the UYS.
Fedorova stressed that Ukraine requires firm security guarantees otherwise peace talks could become merely “a pause before a new Russian invasion.”
She criticised the US government for not exerting sufficient pressure on Russia, and for, -at times-, shifting the blame onto Kyiv for starting the war.
The activist praised Finland’s ongoing support for Ukraine on the international stage.
“With this event we want to re-activate this support, and we hope that public support also remains strong,” she said.
Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said that Finland and Finnish society as a whole stand firmly with Ukraine, together with the partners.
“Today we celebrate Ukraine’s Independence Day. This is already the fourth time Ukrainians have had to mark the day while defending their homeland — and the whole of Europe. Ukraine, however, is not alone. Finland and Finnish society as a whole stand firmly with Ukraine, together with our partners. Every day we work to achieve a sustainable and just peace,” Valtonen wrote in a post on her social media platform X after the rally.
“I was honoured today to greet the crowds gathered at Senate Square to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day. Peace must prevail. Happy Independence Day, Ukraine. Slava Ukraini,” the Foreign Minister added.
- Ukraine
- Independence Day
- Helsinki
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
