Zelenskyy, people of Ukraine to receive Four Freedoms Award

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people will receive the international Four Freedoms Award this year in recognition of their "courage and perseverance" amid the ongoing war, the organizers announced on Tuesday.

The award honors individuals and organizations that promote the four fundamental freedoms articulated by former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his 1941 Four Freedoms speech, including freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

In a statement, the Roosevelt Foundation said Zelenskyy and Ukraine have made an exceptional contribution to the defense of freedom worldwide over the past year.

"The president and the Ukrainian people continue tirelessly to resist and fight for their independence," the statement said. "They are fighting for the security of all of Europe and are defending, with their lives what protects us all: freedom, democracy, and the rule of law over the 'rule of the strongest.'"

The foundation said Ukrainian civilians have shown “enormous resilience” despite harsh conditions, particularly during the winter months, since the war began in 2022.

Hugo de Jonge, chairman of the Roosevelt Foundation and King's Commissioner in the Province of Zeeland, said the war in Ukraine is "a fight that concerns all of us."

The award ceremony will take place on April 16 in Middelburg, the Netherlands, marking the anniversary of Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech to the US Congress.

With the award, Zelenskyy joins a list of previous laureates that includes Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, Angela Merkel and Malala Yousafzai.