Speaking during the award ceremony at the Munich Security Conference, Donald Tusk said Ukrainians deserve the highest respect of the free world for resisting Russia’s invasion.
“There is no award good enough. Even the Nobel Prize would not be good enough,” Tusk said, calling Ukraine an example of courage, determination and sacrifice by both soldiers and civilians.
He strongly rejected claims that Europe or NATO are in decline. “I hear opinions that Europe is on the verge of collapse, that NATO is obsolete […] Nonsense,” he said.
Tusk also warned against political realism based solely on interests and deals. “Those who think that everything can be bought should also remember that, according to this philosophy, everyone can be sold,” he said, arguing that such thinking undermines the “foundations of civilization”.
Referring to Poland’s own history, Tusk said the struggle to join the free world had been worthwhile and that Ukraine now shows how Western values and institutions still matter. He described a united West, anchored in NATO and the European Union, as “the best political invention in the history of mankind”.
“We must be strong. We must not stop being good,” Tusk said. “This is a Ukrainian lesson for all of us.”
The prize was accepted by Volodymyr Zelensky, who said the honor was “a prize for our strength and our friendship with all of you.” He thanked international leaders and institutions supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
The Ewald von Kleist Prize, awarded annually by the conference since 2009, honors contributions to peace and international security.
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Source: PAP, Euronews